Dear SEP Families,
Students came to understand the ways in which their social media interactions mirror the interactions that form their "real life" social selves. They also explored the role that social media plays in catalyzing social change, from the Black Lives Matter movement to the Syrian revolution. We also studied the ways in which social media fosters community, and the role that shared online culture plays in building community on social platforms.
Students readily engaged with the concept that platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat, are inherently tied to norms of self-presentation. Students made the connection between online self-presentation and the larger social norms that dictate behavior on social media. Many students were interested in the role that race, gender, and class play in the experiences of social media users.
We explored the central dichotomy of social media politics: is social media a tool of liberation or simply a mode of oppression? Most students were rather sanguine about the economic role of social media companies in our lives. One of the more difficult concepts for students was the idea that social media may not be qualitatively different from other technologies. As "natives" of the social media landscape, students often don't recognize how profoundly social media technologies are impacting the social landscape.
Students came to understand the ways in which their social media interactions mirror the interactions that form their "real life" social selves. They also explored the role that social media plays in catalyzing social change, from the Black Lives Matter movement to the Syrian revolution. We also studied the ways in which social media fosters community, and the role that shared online culture plays in building community on social platforms.
Students readily engaged with the concept that platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat, are inherently tied to norms of self-presentation. Students made the connection between online self-presentation and the larger social norms that dictate behavior on social media. Many students were interested in the role that race, gender, and class play in the experiences of social media users.
We explored the central dichotomy of social media politics: is social media a tool of liberation or simply a mode of oppression? Most students were rather sanguine about the economic role of social media companies in our lives. One of the more difficult concepts for students was the idea that social media may not be qualitatively different from other technologies. As "natives" of the social media landscape, students often don't recognize how profoundly social media technologies are impacting the social landscape.
Resources for Continued Learning
Blogs/Websites
Books
Films
Thank you for being a part of SEP 2016 Session 3!
Books
- It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens by danah boyd
- American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers by Nancy Jo Sales
- Writing on the Wall: Social Media - the First 2,000 Years by Tom Standage
Films
- Terms and Conditions May Apply
- The Social Network
- #140 Characters: A Documentary About Twitter
- InRealLife
Thank you for being a part of SEP 2016 Session 3!
