Schedule > 2. The Internet & Society
Overview
Today we’re going to discuss the Black Mirror Episode Joan Is Awful as a way to consider how technological and society shape one another. Some questions to consider:
- What did the world look like before the Internet? How did people find information? Shop? Read the news? Connect with friends?
- How has the Internet changed over time?
- How are existing and emerging AI systems and algorithms shaping the current Internet?
- Why are so many people concerned about privacy on the Internet? Is it really that big a deal?
Assigned Readings
- By Friday (before class), watch: Black Mirror. Joan is Awful (2023), Season 6, Episode 1. Netflix.
- If you don’t have Netflix, you can purchase the episode for $1.99 on Amazon.
- Content warning: some profanity, nudity, and irreverent scenes. That said, the broader point of the piece surfaces many important socio-technical themes that are worth thinking about.
- By Monday (before class), read: Pew Research Center As AI Spreads, Experts Predict the Best and Worst Changes in Digital Life by 2035
. By Janna Anderson and Lee Rainie. June, 2023.
- Read the entire first page (though you’re welcome to read the entire report!)