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Writing Project 2:

Exploring the Risks of Digital Networks

Purpose: In this second assignment, you will think critically about digital media. In addition to considering your own ideas and experiences with social and/or networked media, you will be asked to pay close attention to large scale problems like governance, control, privatization, censorship, propaganda, and surveillance within the vast digital networks that we navigate everyday. Rhetorically, we will focus on crafting introductions, integrating effective evidence, developing compelling body paragraphs, and examining alternative points of view in order to develop a sophisticated, nuanced argument.

Reading:

--Adrian Chen, “The Agency”

--Charles Duhigg, “How Companies Learn Your Secrets”

--Rebecca Mackinnon, “Do No Evil”

--Sherry Turkle, “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk.”

Premise: Although many of us rely upon and enjoy using digital media in our everyday lives, we are also very familiar with ongoing conversations about how digital media is negatively impacting our relationships as well as our inner lives. The conventional wisdom is that our use of networked media increases our narcissism and causes us to be more distracted and paradoxically more disconnected from one another. Critics like Turkle provide convincing evidence for this point of view, but is this the whole story? Other writers like MacKinnon, Chen, and Duhigg offer a broader view of the risks and rewards of networked media, as they explore the interplay between systems of legal, political, and economic control and individual and collective freedom. Weighing their claims carefully, we will consider which aspects of digital media may be truly damaging to individuals and communities.

Writing Task: Moving beyond clichés about the negative effects of digital media, the task is to choose a genuine, interesting, and significant issue related to digital media. You may want to narrow your topic by focusing on a specific platform, a specific community of users, or a specific geo-political context. The task is to engage closely with at least one of the course readings as you respond to the following prompt in a 5-6 page thesis-driven essay:

What specific issue related to digital media should concern us most? Why?

Sources: You must cite at least one of the course readings in your writing project. You are welcome to cite additional class readings or outside sources, although you are not required to do so.

Due Date: Friday, February 26 at the start of class.

Suggestions for Successful Writing:

--Focus: Rather than trying to account for many different kinds of digital media, your essay should focus on an example, topic, or case study so that you can carry your ideas through. Make sure that you are identifying a specific issue related to that topic. So, for instance, “Wikipedia” is a topic but not an issue. “The dissemination of inaccurate information about key historical events through Wikipedia” is an issue. Or, as another example, “trolling” is a topic but “sexist rhetoric on Twitter” is an issue.

--Concrete Examples: The successful writing project will contain specific, relevant, and compelling examples that support the larger claims being made.

--Citing Sources: For this assignment, it will not be sufficient to include a brief mention of an author or a short quotation from a reading with no explanation. Instead, you should engage with, expand upon, and possibly challenge the ideas from our course readings.

--Responding to Objections: Be sure to spend plenty of time considering why others might disagree with your judgment. Why might a reasonable person criticize your ideas and how would you respond?