Media And Society Course Outline PDF

Media And Society Course  Outline Today we are going to examine how the “new” advertising works, and you are going to learn the meaning of: 1) Algorithmic behavior modification. 2) Feedback engineering. 3) The Phantom vibration symptom. This is us, using our smartphones! At the...

Media And Society Course  Outline Today we are going to examine how the “new” advertising works, and you are going to learn the meaning of: 1) Algorithmic behavior modification. 2) Feedback engineering. 3) The Phantom vibration symptom. This is us, using our smartphones! At the other end, there are technicians who came up with algorithms to modify our behavior. This is called algorithmic behavior modification (algorithms for the purpose of changing our behavior). Algorithms= The feedback we receive (example advertisements), is engineered/ designed to match our behavior. This is called “feedback engineering” (a designed feedback matching our behavior). This is why some critics believe that we have become hypnotized, we are turned to some kind of lab animals, and that we are subject to massive spying. Critics also say that “Statistics are reliable, but only as idiot demons.” One way to interpret this is by imagining illogical acts being grouped together. Some people who like the food I like, disliked a candidate who appeared in a pink border instead of a blue one. Result: Whoever is monitoring my online behavior thinks that I will dislike the candidate appearing with a pink border too, because I like the same food as the ones who didn’t like him!!!! This is why critics consider that advertising’s impact today is not fleeting (lasts for a short time). They call it direct manipulation. Questions for discussion: 1. Explain in your own words how algorithms work? 2. What is meant by: “Statistics are reliable, but only as idiot demons”? 3. What is the difference between the “old-fashioned” advertising and modern advertising? Do you agree that it has become a “direct manipulation of people”? 4. After watching the Ted Talk Video ("Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health?") (till minute 2:14), explain what the "Phantom Vibration Syndrome" is? 5. Do you agree with commentators who say that we have been trapped in a cage which goes everywhere with us? (Justify your answer by using examples from your own experience, or/ and observations).