Social media and politics

U.S. Elections and the Role of Social Media:

Fact or Fiction?

What do you remember from last year and what do you know about social media?

Start

Question 1/11

Question 2/11

Question 3/11

Question 4/11

Question 5/11

Question 6/11

Question 7/11

Question 8/11

(ref. Pew Research Center)

Question 9/11

(ref. NYTimes)

Question 10/11

(ref. NATO’s Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence and Carnegie Mellon University and study by The Washington Post)

Question 11/11

ref. 2018 report by Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society

You did it!

"How do you think social media shapes elections? How do you engage with (political) content online, and what strategies can we use to make sure we’re getting accurate information?

Back

Review + Discussion

• Key concepts from last year: U.S. Government System and Electoral College
• How is democracy maintained with the current system?
• Electoral College: what are some pros and cons? How does it influence presidential elections?

• Discussion Questions:
• How might democracy prove to be fragile in this system and in this moment? Provide examples

Democracy & Dystopias

Define dystopian fiction and its key features, use examples. Can you think of examples of dystopian realities as well? Discussion Questions: How could a system like the U.S. government be vulnerable to becoming a dystopia? What role does government control play in dystopian societies?

The Handmaid's Tale

While viewing

Identify the changes in governance that lead to the fall of democracy.How does the government transition from democracy to authoritarian rule? What freedoms are lost first, and why?

After Viewing Discussion

• How did society change so quickly?
• What role did complacency play in the transition from democracy to dictatorship?
• Could similar events happen in a democratic society today? What safeguards are in place?
• How does the portrayal of Gilead reflect concerns about media, politics, and control in our world?

“A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.” -Margaret Atwood

homework

S1 E3 0-32

1984

1.23.45

The Handmaid's Tale vs 1984

Create a diagram comparing 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale in terms of government control and public reaction.Compare the THT and passages from 1984 How does the government maintain control over its citizens in the respective examples? What parallels can we draw to modern-day political trends?

Social media - democratic processes and dystopian

Have social media platforms changed political discourse, if so how? Provide examples The Great Hack How did Cambridge Analytica's strategies reflect the manipulation of democratic processes? In what ways can personal data be used to sway political opinions and elections? What are the ethical implications of using personal data for political campaigns?

homework

Social media - democratic processes and dystopian

Black Mirror - "The Waldo Moment" How does Waldo’s campaign strategy in Black Mirror mirror real-world tactics seen in contemporary political campaigns? What are the dangers of using satire and media manipulation in politics? How does the episode explore the relationship between media, public opinion, and political power?

homework

The Great Hack

• Documentary 12 min - 25.42

Black Mirror- The Waldo Moment

21-35

Presentations

Literary connections to the real world Social media as a tool for dystopia AI and an automated world Media shapes the narrative and therefore our world Democracy, data collection and surveillance Resisting the system - drawing parallels between fiction and our world Corporate control and collusion Economic systems and class structure

Dystopian Solution to a Modern Problem

Identify a Problem, for example: Climate change: Increasing environmental degradation. Misinformation: The spread of fake news and manipulation through social media. Wealth inequality: The gap between the rich and the poor. Crime: Rising crime rates or corruption. Government distrust: Citizens’ lack of faith in political institutions. Surveillance and privacy: The growing presence of digital surveillance. Create a Dystopian Solution: Propose a dystopian solution to your chosen problem, using methods seen in dystopian literature or media, such as: Total surveillance: Solving crime or misinformation by implementing constant surveillance, i.e. 1984 or Minority Report. Connect your dystopian solution to both real-world examples and works studied.

Detail the following:

How it works: What methods are used to enforce this solution? How it “solves” the problem: What are the benefits of this dystopian approach? The sacrifices: What freedoms or ethical principles are compromised in this society? Historical/real-life parallels: How similar solutions have been applied or considered in reality.

Index

Audio

Chart + Text

Text + Image

Embedded Content

Table + Text

Highlighted Phrase

Interactive Question

List / Processes

Section

Conclusions

Video

Relevant Data

Close

Text + Icons

Timeline

Social media influence

How do you think social media might influence people’s opinions or actions? What types of manipulation are there? Can you define them? You will now be given an example of a famous case of manipulation. You need to find out more about the case and decide what kind of manipulation this is. Find another example on your own. How do you think these examples impacted popular opinion, etc.?

Here you can place a highlighted title

Disinformation

Malinformation

Mal-information is information that is based on reality but but is often exaggerated or taken out of context in a way that misleads and causes potential harm.

Disinformation is information that is false, and the person who is disseminating it knows it is false. “It is a deliberate, intentional lie, and points to people being actively disinformed by malicious actors”.

Misinformation

Fake news

Misinformation is information that is false, but the person who is disseminating it believes that it is true. The intention is NOT harmful.

Fake news is information that is clearly and demonstrably fabricated and that has been packaged and distributed to appear as legitimate news.

Nancy Pelosi and Obama

AI vs Real-life Endorsement

How does this influence the potential outcome?

stop at 1.17 to discuss

How are the current candidates represented by different media outlets

Research where candidates stand on key issues by looking at different media outlets. How are the represented differently according to the particular outlet? Is there bias? What 'clues' lead you to believe this?

CRAAP Test: A framework for evaluating the reliability of information sources

Currency: Is the information up to date? Relevance: Does it relate to your topic? Authority: Who is the author or publisher? Are they credible? Accuracy: Is the information supported by evidence? Purpose: Is the content meant to inform, entertain, sell, or persuade?Our brain is biologically wired to process visual content. Almost 50% of our brain is involved in processing visual stimuli.

New York Times Teenage edition https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/12/learning/students-journalists-conversations.html?searchResultPosition=7

The Great Hack

Threats

Contextualize your topic

• Plan the structure of your communication.
• Give it a hierarchy and give visual weight to the main point.
• Add secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow through the content.
• Measure results.

Weaknesses

Contextualize your topic

• Plan the structure of your communication.
• Give it a hierarchy and give visual weight to the main point.
• Add secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow through the content.
• Measure results.

Opportunities

Contextualize your topic

• Plan the structure of your communication.
• Give it a hierarchy and give visual weight to the main point.
• Add secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow through the content.
• Measure results.

Strengths

Contextualize your topic

• Plan the structure of your communication.
• Give it a hierarchy and give visual weight to the main point.
• Add secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow through the content.
• Measure results.

Research Task

Describe a specific instance of media manipulation or data privacy issue you researched. Include details about how it affected public opinion or election outcomes. Comparison with The Great Hack and Black Mirror: Draw connections between your findings and the tactics used in The Great Hack and the Black Mirror episode. Address questions such as: strategies used, similarities, how effective the methods were.

Research Task

Describe a specific instance of media manipulation or data privacy issue you researched. Include details about how it affected public opinion or election outcomes. Comparison with The Great Hack and Black Mirror: Draw connections between your findings and the tactics used in The Great Hack and the Black Mirror episode. Address questions such as: strategies used, similarities, how effective the methods were.

Discuss in groups

How might the use of a fake AI-generated image or video of Taylor Swift endorsing a political candidate influence public perception of both the celebrity and the candidate involved? What impact could this have on voter behavior? Why are celebrity endorsements so powerful in modern politics? What ethical responsibilities do social media platforms and content creators have in preventing the spread of fake information? How can they balance freedom of expression with the need to combat misinformation?"

Research Task

Research recent U.S. elections and identify instances where there were significant controversies or concerns related to media manipulation, voting rights, or election integrity. Use reputable news sources, academic articles, official reports, etc. Focus on one or two key controversies or concerns (e.g., misinformation campaigns, voter suppression, or foreign interference). Dystopian Comparison: Draw parallels between these real-world issues and the dystopian elements depicted in The Handmaid's Tale. You may consider if any aspects from HT are mirrored. Are democratic processes being undermined, similar to HT? What safeguards exist to prevent a dystopian shift?