index.Rmd

---
title: ''
author: "Martin Roberts"
date: "`r Sys.Date()`"
output:
  tufte::tufte_html:
    css: my_style.css
  tufte::tufte_handout:
    citation_package: natbib
    latex_engine: xelatex
  tufte::tufte_book:
    citation_package: natbib
    latex_engine: xelatex
  word_document: null
subtitle: ''
runningheader: COMM 7018 Social Media Theory
link-citations: yes
---
# COMM 7018: SOCIAL MEDIA THEORY  
[Fitchburg State University](https://fitchburgstate.edu)  
[Communications Media Department](https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/academics/academic-schools/school-arts-and-sciences/communications-media-department)    
[MS in Applied Communication: Social Media Concentration](https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/academics/programs/social-media-concentration-applied-communication-ms-online)     

Schedule: Monday 16 May – Monday 4 July 2022  
Instructor: Dr. Martin Roberts  
Contact: [email](mailto:mrober40@fitchburgstate.edu)  

***  

## OVERVIEW  
The term **social media** is popularly understood as referring to corporate-owned, advertising-funded communication **platforms** based on **user-generated content**: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, Discord, TikTok. It can also be defined more broadly, however, as a set of networked, technologically-mediated  **practices** of communication, structured by economic and political forces that both inflect and are inflected by social and cultural identities. These platforms, the social practices that they enable, and the relationship between the two are the objects of **social media theory**. But what does it mean to **theorize** social media? Why do we need social media theory at all?

To theorize something involves a number of processes:

- first, how do we define the phenomenon or object of study itself? How does it differ from previous or other related phenomena?
- how are we to account for it? Why did it happen/is it happening now rather than at some other time? What are its conditions of possibility?
- what is its relation to larger areas of society? What are its implications for those areas?
- how are we to evaluate it, in terms of its implications (political, economic, social, ethical, legal, environmental, aesthetic)? What are its possibilities and limits, its progressive and oppressive aspects? How can we change it for the better?

These processes involve developing analytical frameworks or models comprising concepts that are useful for identifying and analyzing key aspects of and issues raised by the phenomenon/object in question. These frameworks and concepts typically draw from existing ones in different fields of study, but often involve the proposal of new frameworks and concepts specific to the field in question.

Each week of the course focuses on some of the key dimensions of social media communication:

- the role of **language** in social media and its transformation;  
- the **aesthetic** dimension of social media communication and the centrality of the **image** as a unit of exchange on social media platforms;  
- the dimension of **sharing** that is arguably the central practice of social media;
- the **affective** or emotionally-expresssive dimension of social media, i.e. their role in articulating and sharing **structures of feeling**;  
- critiques of the **surveillance capitalism** of commercial SM platforms and debates about their practices as a form of **techno-feudalism**;    
- the notion of social media as a complex **ecosystem** of interdependent practices, as well as proposals for addressing toxic elements within this ecosystem.

***

## OBJECTIVES  
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

- analyze technologies past, present, and imagined
- describe the ways in which technologies shape our world the ways in which we shape those technologies
- explain how social media is a result of the intersection between technologies and existing human communication dynamics
- discuss how theory of technology and social media can improve the vocational outlook of a student
- play a productive role in and even facilitate conversations that tease out the relationships between values and technology.  
- through the skills you will refine in writing your research papers, clearly explain how a specific technology shapes the social world that we live in.  

***  

## SOURCES: PRINT/WEB  

**Required**  
These texts have been ordered by the University bookstore.

- Nicholas A. John, _The Age of Sharing_. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2016.  
- [Gretchen McCulloch](https://gretchenmcculloch.com/), [_Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language_](https://gretchenmcculloch.com/book/). Riverhead Books, 2019.   

**Other sources**  
These sources are either freely available online or excerpts will be posted on Blackboard.  

- Yves Citton, _The Ecology of Attention_. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2017 [French edition: _Pour une écologie de l'attention_, Éditions du Seuil, 2014].   
- Adam D.I. Kramer, Jamie E. Guillory, and Jeffrey T. Hancock, "[Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1320040111)," _PNAS_, vol. 111, no. 24 (17 June 2014): 8788-8790.  
- Lev Manovich, "The Aesthetic Society, or How I Edit My Instagram," in Peter Mörtenböck and Helge Mooshammer, eds., _Data Publics: Public Plurality in an Era of Data Determinacy_ (New York: Routledge, 2020).     
- Tony D. Sampson, Stephen Maddison, Darren Ellis, eds.,  _Affect and Social Media: Emotion, Media, Anxiety and Contagion_. London and New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.  
- José van Dijck, _The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media_. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.  
- [Evgeny Morozov](https://twitter.com/evgenymorozov), "[Critique of Techno-Feudal Reason](https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii133/articles/evgeny-morozov-critique-of-techno-feudal-reason)," _New Left Review_, 133/134 (Jan-Apr 2022).  
- Whitney Phillips and Ryan M. Milner, _You Are Here: A Field Guide for Navigating Polarized Speech, Conspiracy Theories, and Our Polluted Media Landscape_ (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2021).  
- Alise Tifentale, “[Art of the Masses: From Kodak Brownie to Instagram](https://doi.org/10.31165/nk.2015.86.399.v),”  _Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network_ 8 (6) (2015).  
- [Shoshana Zuboff](https://shoshanazuboff.com), "[You Are the Object of a Secret Extraction Operation](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/opinion/facebook-privacy.html)," _New York Times_, 12 Nov 2021.

***

## COURSE INFORMATION

**Blackboard**  
We will be using the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) as the primary platform for the course. Please be sure to check in to the site at least once daily M-F to check the Announcements page and the Discussion forum for the week.

**Sources**  
Reading assignments will be either from Required texts, linked to online, or available as PDF documents.   

PDF documents and the syllabus will be available for download in the [Course Repository](https://github.com/mroberts1/social-media-theory-summer-2022) hosted on GitHub: please bookmark this link. The <pdf> folder on the repo will have copies of all PDF chapters and articles, which may be downloaded either individually (click on the document in question and then the Download button) or collectively in the zip file.

***  

## READING SCHEDULE  

**Week 1** M 05/16  

Topic: Speaking/Writing

- [Gretchen McCulloch](https://gretchenmcculloch.com/), _Because Internet_: "Informal Writing," "Typographical Tone of Voice," "Emoji and Other Internet Gestures" (chs. 1, 4, 5)  

See also:  

- Geoffrey K. Pullum, "[Phrases for Lazy Writers in Kit Form](http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/000061.html),"  _Language Log_, 27 Oct. 2003  
- Glen Whitman, "[Phrases for Lazy Writers in Kit Form Are the New Clichés](http://agoraphilia.blogspot.com/2004/01/phrases-for-lazy-writers-in-kit-form.html)," _Agoraphilia_, 14 Jan. 2004  
- Geoffrey K. Pullum, "[Snowclones: Lexicological Dating to the Second](http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000350.html)," _Language Log_, 16 Jan. 2004
- Erin O'Connor, "[A bit of Language-Log-ish geekery](https://kirinqueen.livejournal.com/170517.html), _kirinqeen_ blog, 23 June 2005  
- [The Snowclones Database](https://snowclones.org/about/)

***  

**Week 2** M 05/23  

Topic: Aesthetics

- [Alise Tifentale](https://www.alisetifentale.net/), “[Art of the Masses: From Kodak Brownie to Instagram](https://doi.org/10.31165/nk.2015.86.399.v),”
- [Lev Manovich](https://manovich.net), "The Aesthetic Society, or How I Edit My Instagram"  

***  

**Week 3** M 05/30  

 Topic: Sharing  

- José van Dijck, _The Culture of Connectivity_: "Facebook and the Imperative of Sharing" (ch. 3)  
- Nicholas John, _The Age of Sharing_: "Introduction," "Sharing and the Internet" (ch. 3)

***  

**Week 4** M 06/06  

Topic: Affect  

- Nicholas John, _The Age of Sharing_: "Sharing our Feelings" (ch. 3)  
- Tony D. Sampson et al., _Affect and Social Media: Emotion, Media, Anxiety and Contagion_: "Introduction: On Affect, Social Media and Criticality"  
- Optional: Adam D.I. Kramer, et al., "[Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1320040111)," _PNAS_, vol. 111, no. 24 (17 June 2014): 8788-8790

***  

**Week 5** M 06/13  

Topic: Disposession

- [Shoshana Zuboff](https://shoshanazuboff.com), "[You Are the Object of a Secret Extraction Operation](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/opinion/facebook-privacy.html)"  
- [Evgeny Morozov](https://twitter.com/evgenymorozov), "Critique of Techno-Feudal Reason"

***  

**Week 6** M 06/20  

Topic: Ecologies  

- Yves Citton, _The Ecology of Attention_: "Introduction: From Attention Economy to Attention Ecology"  
- Whitney Phillps and Ryan Milner, _You Are Here_: "Introduction: Mapping Network Pollution"  

***  

**Week 7** M 06/27  

Topic: Research paper presentations

***

## ASSIGNMENTS & EVALUATION

- **Review**: 6, weekly from Week 1, one short post responding to readings, 250 words (maximum), due by Friday (20%)   
- **Discussion**: weekly after Week 1, 2-3 responses to other students' posts., 100 words max., due by the _following_ Friday (20%)    
- **Commentary**: 2 short papers, 750-1000 words, due Friday of Week 2 and Week 4 (20%)    
- **Research paper/report/other project**: 2,000 words, due Friday of week 6 (20%)    
- **Colloquium**: week 7, flexible format - slides, video/audio, web page, blog, wiki (20%)      

**Discussion: Agenda, Review, Reply Posts**   
For Weeks 1-6, each of the weekly topics will be active across a cycle of two weeks. 

By the end of the day on **Monday** of each week, I will post an Agenda item in the Discussion forum for the topic of the week, that introduces and contextualizes the reading assignments for the week, identifying key themes, concepts, and/or issues to look out for as you read. Be sure to read the Agenda post before beginning the reading assignments. 

In the first week,  complete the reading assignments and make an initial response post called a Review, with question and/or comments on them, by **Friday** of the week in question. 

In the second week,  read through the Review posts of the group and post at least one Reply to one of them by Friday of that week.

**Commentary Papers**  
These short papers (750-1,000 words) are due at the end of Week 2 and Week 4 (Sunday). They should consist of close analytical readings of any of the reading assignments for the period Weeks 1-2 or 3-4. You are encouraged to focus in detail on particular sections, arguments, and/or concepts from the readings and develop them.

**Research Paper/Project**  
The culminating written assignment for the course (2,000 words) may consist of various formats: a research paper or report, or a creative project of your choice. 

A 1-page preliminary proposal with ideas for your project, with a short bibliography with sources and/or links, should be posted in the Discussion forum for the purpose by the end of Week 3, and you will receive feedback during Week 4. 

**Colloquium**  
Research papers/projects will be presented to and discussed with the group at the Colloquium scheduled over the last week of the course. Presentation formats are flexible, and may include a recorded slide presentation (20 slides max.) with voiceover; an audiovisual essay; or a web page, wiki, or blog.  

***

## SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY  
  
danah boyd, _It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens_ (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014).

Finn Brunton and Helen Nissenbaum, _Obfuscation: A User’s Guide for Privacy and Protest_ (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2016).

Gabriella Coleman, _Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous_ (London and New York: Verso, 2014).

David Craig, Jian Lin, and Stuart Cunningham, _Wanghong as Social Media Entertainment in China_. Palgrave Studies in Globalization, Culture and Society (London: Palgrave, 2021).

Stuart Cunningham and David Craig, _Social Media Entertainment: The New Intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley_ (New York: NYU Press, 2021).

---, eds. _Creator Culture: An Introduction to Global Social Media Entertainment_ (New York: New York University Press, 2021).

Eric Gordon and Adriana de Souza e Silva, _Net Locality: Why Location Matters in a Networked World_ (Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011).

Byung-Chul Han, _In The Swarm: Digital Prospects_ (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2017).

Sarah J. Jackson, Moya Bailey, et al., _#HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice_ (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2020).

Lori Kido Lopez, _Race and Media: Critical Approaches_ (New York: New York University Press, 2020).

Lev Manovich, _Instagram and Contemporary Image_ (2015-17).

--\- _Cultural Analytics_ (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2020).

Gretchen McCulloch, _Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language_ (New York: Riverhead Books, 2019).

Angela Nagle, _Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars From 4Chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right_ (Alresford, Hampshire, UK: Zero Books, 2017).

Whitney Phillips, _This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Mapping the Relationship between Online Trolling and Mainstream Culture_ (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2015).

Whitney Phillips and Ryan M. Milner, _You Are Here: A Field Guide for Navigating Polarized Speech, Conspiracy Theories, and Our Polluted Media Landscape_ (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2021).

Zoë Quinn, _Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate_ (New York: PublicAffairs, 2017).

Jon Ronson, _So You've Been Publicly Shamed_ ( New York: Riverhead Books, 2015).

Kai Strittmatter, _We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China's Surveillance State_ (New York: HarperCollins, 2020).

Zeynep Tufekci, _Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest_ (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017).

Siva Vaidyanathan, _Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy_ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018).

***

## LATE POLICY

Assignments that are late will lose 1/2 of a grade per day, beginning at the end of class and including weekends and holidays. This means that a paper, which would have received an A if it was on time, will receive a B+ the next day, B- for two days late, and so on. Time management, preparation for our meetings, and timely submission of your work comprise a significant dimension of your professionalism. As such, your work must be completed by the beginning of class on the day it is due. If you have a serious problem that makes punctual submission impossible, you must discuss this matter with me before the due date so that we can make alternative arrangements. Because you are given plenty of time to complete your work, and major due dates are given to you well in advance, last minute problems should not preclude handing in assignments on time.

***

## MANDATORY REPORTER
Fitchburg State University is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students that is free of all forms of discrimination and harassment. Please be aware all FSU faculty members are “mandatory reporters,” which means that if you tell me about a situation involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, I am legally required to share that information with the Title IX Coordinator. If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, or stalking, FSU has staff members trained to support you. If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, or stalking, please visit [http://fitchburgstate.edu/titleix](http://fitchburgstate.edu/titleix) to access information about university support and resources.

***

## HEALTH
[Health Services](http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitchburgstate.edu%2Foffices-services-directory%2Fhealth-services%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEw5V0i0hL5DVO5b43gejNNaAt4ig)

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5PM
Location: Ground Level of Russell Towers (across from the entrance of Holmes Dining Hall) Phone: (978) 665-3643/3894

[Counseling Services](http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitchburgstate.edu%2Foffices-services-directory%2Fcounseling-services%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEYiS4EmSvWerpp2bKr5lTpouPuqQ)

The Counseling Services Office offers a range of services including individual, couples and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychoeducational programming, outreach ALTERNATIVE ECOSYSTEMSs, and community referrals. Counseling services are confidential and are offered at no charge to all enrolled students. Staff at Counseling Services are also available for consultation to faculty, staff and students. Counseling Services is located in the Hammond, 3rd Floor, Room 317.

[Fitchburg Anti-Violence Education (FAVE)](http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitchburgstate.edu%2Foffices-services-directory%2Ffitchburg-anti-violence-education%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFi5qy-wunMxX-hoWbA9YwT8aa4Ig)

FAVE collaborates with a number of community partners (e.g., YWCA Domestic Violence Services, Pathways for Change) to meet our training needs and to link survivors with community based resources. This site also features [resources](http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitchburgstate.edu%2Foffices-services-directory%2Ffitchburg-anti-violence-education%2Ffitchburg-anti-violence-education-resources%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNF9KZ2O1AvPMLJTHdNg1DfmYYtgog) for help or information about dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship or has been a victim of sexual assault, there are many places to go for help. Many can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. On campus, free and confidential support is provided at both Counseling Services and Health Services.

_Community Food Pantry_
Food insecurity is a growing issue and it certainly can affect student learning. The ability to have access to nutritious food is incredibly vital. The Falcon Bazaar, located in Hammond G 15, is stocked with food, basic necessities, and can provide meal swipes to support all Fitchburg State students experiencing food insecurity for a day or a semester.

The university continues to partner with Our Father's House to support student needs and access to food and services. All Fitchburg State University students are welcome at the Our Father’s House Community Food Pantry. This Pantry is located at the Faith Christian Church at 40 Boutelle St., Fitchburg, MA and is open from 5-7pm. Each “household” may shop for nutritious food once per month by presenting a valid FSU ID.

***

## ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The University “Academic Integrity” policy can be found online at [http:// www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/office-of-student-conductmediation-education/academic-integrity/.](http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/office-of-student-conduct-mediation-education/academic-integrity/) Students are expected to do their own work. Plagiarism and cheating are inexcusable. Any instance of plagiarism or cheating will automatically result in a zero on the assignment and may be reported the Office of Student and Academic Life at the discretion of the instructor.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
-   Using papers or work from another class.
-   Using another student's paper or work from any class.
-   Copying work or a paper from the Internet.
-   The egregious lack of citing sources or documenting research.
    
_If you're not clear on what is or is not plagiarism, ASK. The BEST case scenario if caught is a zero on that assignment, and ignorance of what does or does not count is not an excuse. That being said, I'm a strong supporter of_ _[Fair Use](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Use) doctrine. Just attribute what you use--and, again, ASK if there's any doubt._

***

## AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with the instructor, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform the faculty member as soon as possible.

***

## TECHNOLOGY
At some point during the semester you will likely have a problem with technology. Your laptop will crash; your iPad battery will die; a recording you make will disappear; you will accidentally delete a file; the wireless will go down at a crucial time. These, however, are inevitabilities of life, not emergences. Technology problems are not excuses for unfinished or late work. Bad things may happen, but you can protect yourself by doing the following:

-   Plan ahead: A deadline is the last minute to turn in material. You can start—and finish—early, particularly if challenging resources are required, or you know it will be time consuming to finish this project.
    
-   Save work early and often: Think how much work you do in 10 minutes. I auto save every 2 minutes.
    
-   Make regular backups of files in a different location: Between Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud, you have ample places to store and backup your materials. Use them.
    
-   Save drafts: When editing, set aside the original and work with a copy.
    
-   Practice safe computing: On your personal devices, install and use software to control viruses and malware.
    
  ***

## GRADING POLICY
Grading for the course will follow the FSU grading policy below:

4.0: 95-100  
3.7: 92-94  
3.5: 89-91  
3.3: 86-88  
3.0: 83-85  
2.7: 80-82  
2.5: 77-79  
2.3: 74-76  
2.0: 71-73  
0.0: < 70  

***

## ACADEMIC RESOURCES

[Writing Center](http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/tutor-center/writing-help/)

[Academic Policies](http://catalog.fitchburgstate.edu/content.php?catoid=13&navoid=851)

[Disability Services](http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/disability-services/)

[Fitchburg State Alert system for emergencies, snow closures/delays, and faculty absences](https://www.getrave.com/login/fitchburgstate/)

[University Career Services](http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/career-counseling-and-advising/careerservices/)

***