All lectures
Lecture 1
Changes in the media (news) landscape
fall in reach for TV news
Print long decline accelerated by Covid-19
generational split: young prefer to read news online, >55s prefer tv news
Facebook is becoming less influential for news
Video led networks (YouTube, Instagram and TikTok) are more important
this shift is even more apparent with younger groups
decline in interest in news in some countries
selective news avoidance is growing
Utopia and dystopia
Utopia: a community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities
for its citizen
Functions:
Optimism about the future
Strong belief in technological development
Push to invest in technological developments
Cultural change toward individuation and individual empowerment
Dystopia: a community or society that is undesirable or frightening
Industrial revolutions
Industrial revolution: a rapid change in an economy marked by the general introduction of
power-driven machinery or by an important change in the prevailing types and methods of
use of such machines
4 revolutions (including the one we might be in right now)
All lectures 1
, 4th revolution (2012-?): fundamental shift blurring lines between physical, digital and
biological systems, driven by AI, robotics, the Internet of Thing (IoT), and advanced
technologies
How will automation and AI impact jobs and the workforce?
How do we regulate and govern emerging technologies?
What are the societal and economic implications of digital transformation?
How can sustainability and environmental concerns be integrated into 4IR?
Lecture 2
What is privacy?
Some intuitions…
Definitions from the social sciences
Privacy is defined by:
Time
back in the day: everything was a public announcement; public punishments
nowadays, personal privacy is protected
Culture
Individualistic Cultures (e.g., United States, Western
Europe):
Privacy is often seen as a fundamental right, and individuals may be more vocal
about protecting their personal space.
Emphasis on personal autonomy and individual rights.
Greater acceptance of personal disclosure and self-expression.
Collectivistic Cultures (e.g., East Asia, Middle East):
Less concern about personal privacy when it conflicts with the needs or
expectations of the group.
All lectures 2
, Prioritization of group harmony over individual autonomy.
Tendency to share information within close knit communities.
Northern Europe (Scandinavia, UK, Germany, Netherlands)
People generally prefer more personal space
Unannounced visits may be considered intrusive
Small talk with strangers is less common
Southern & Eastern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece, Balkans):
Physical closeness and spontaneous social interactions are more common.
Casual conversations with strangers are more accepted
Hospitality traditions mean that it is more common for friends and family to drop
by unannounced
France: Physical greetings such as kissing on the cheek (la bise) are common,
even in professional settings.
Individual differences
Contexts
what is the situation
how we dress, speak or behave at work is completely different than how we would do
it at home
Walter: the core tension of online communication; how much to share
online
Online communication has always involved a trade-off between self-expression and
privacy
Greater disclosure → more social and personal benefits
Greater disclosure → higher risk of privacy breaches
Central question: How much should we share online?
Walter: The Privacy Myth
Many users assume their online communication is private
Offline expectations (e.g., conversations, phone calls) shape this belief
Reality: Online content is often public, permanent, and replicable
Key Point: Once posted, information can be difficult — or impossible — to fully remove.
Walter: why privacy is hard online
The Internet is a store-and-forward system that captures and distributes information
Social media platforms are designed for sharing and visibility
All lectures 3
, Expecting privacy does not automatically provide legal protection
Most publicly accessible messages are considered part of the public domain.
Walter: consequences of misunderstanding privacy
Unexpected audiences may view posts
Content can resurface later
Users have faced punishment or reputational damage due to past posts
Takeaway: Psychological feelings of privacy ≠ actual informational privacy.
The theory of Content Collapse (dana boyd & Alice Marwick) clearly
demonstrates this → see later in this session
Walter: the importance of privacy literacy
Legal and technological protections are limited
Responsibility largely falls on the individual user
Users need an informed understanding of digital systems
Privacy literacy enables smarter sharing decisions.
Three theoretical perspectives
Westin: privacy regulations as a basic need
Privacy is a basic need which helps us adjust to day-to-day
interpersonal interactions.
He thinks privacy is a human right.
All lectures 4
Lecture 1
Changes in the media (news) landscape
fall in reach for TV news
Print long decline accelerated by Covid-19
generational split: young prefer to read news online, >55s prefer tv news
Facebook is becoming less influential for news
Video led networks (YouTube, Instagram and TikTok) are more important
this shift is even more apparent with younger groups
decline in interest in news in some countries
selective news avoidance is growing
Utopia and dystopia
Utopia: a community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities
for its citizen
Functions:
Optimism about the future
Strong belief in technological development
Push to invest in technological developments
Cultural change toward individuation and individual empowerment
Dystopia: a community or society that is undesirable or frightening
Industrial revolutions
Industrial revolution: a rapid change in an economy marked by the general introduction of
power-driven machinery or by an important change in the prevailing types and methods of
use of such machines
4 revolutions (including the one we might be in right now)
All lectures 1
, 4th revolution (2012-?): fundamental shift blurring lines between physical, digital and
biological systems, driven by AI, robotics, the Internet of Thing (IoT), and advanced
technologies
How will automation and AI impact jobs and the workforce?
How do we regulate and govern emerging technologies?
What are the societal and economic implications of digital transformation?
How can sustainability and environmental concerns be integrated into 4IR?
Lecture 2
What is privacy?
Some intuitions…
Definitions from the social sciences
Privacy is defined by:
Time
back in the day: everything was a public announcement; public punishments
nowadays, personal privacy is protected
Culture
Individualistic Cultures (e.g., United States, Western
Europe):
Privacy is often seen as a fundamental right, and individuals may be more vocal
about protecting their personal space.
Emphasis on personal autonomy and individual rights.
Greater acceptance of personal disclosure and self-expression.
Collectivistic Cultures (e.g., East Asia, Middle East):
Less concern about personal privacy when it conflicts with the needs or
expectations of the group.
All lectures 2
, Prioritization of group harmony over individual autonomy.
Tendency to share information within close knit communities.
Northern Europe (Scandinavia, UK, Germany, Netherlands)
People generally prefer more personal space
Unannounced visits may be considered intrusive
Small talk with strangers is less common
Southern & Eastern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece, Balkans):
Physical closeness and spontaneous social interactions are more common.
Casual conversations with strangers are more accepted
Hospitality traditions mean that it is more common for friends and family to drop
by unannounced
France: Physical greetings such as kissing on the cheek (la bise) are common,
even in professional settings.
Individual differences
Contexts
what is the situation
how we dress, speak or behave at work is completely different than how we would do
it at home
Walter: the core tension of online communication; how much to share
online
Online communication has always involved a trade-off between self-expression and
privacy
Greater disclosure → more social and personal benefits
Greater disclosure → higher risk of privacy breaches
Central question: How much should we share online?
Walter: The Privacy Myth
Many users assume their online communication is private
Offline expectations (e.g., conversations, phone calls) shape this belief
Reality: Online content is often public, permanent, and replicable
Key Point: Once posted, information can be difficult — or impossible — to fully remove.
Walter: why privacy is hard online
The Internet is a store-and-forward system that captures and distributes information
Social media platforms are designed for sharing and visibility
All lectures 3
, Expecting privacy does not automatically provide legal protection
Most publicly accessible messages are considered part of the public domain.
Walter: consequences of misunderstanding privacy
Unexpected audiences may view posts
Content can resurface later
Users have faced punishment or reputational damage due to past posts
Takeaway: Psychological feelings of privacy ≠ actual informational privacy.
The theory of Content Collapse (dana boyd & Alice Marwick) clearly
demonstrates this → see later in this session
Walter: the importance of privacy literacy
Legal and technological protections are limited
Responsibility largely falls on the individual user
Users need an informed understanding of digital systems
Privacy literacy enables smarter sharing decisions.
Three theoretical perspectives
Westin: privacy regulations as a basic need
Privacy is a basic need which helps us adjust to day-to-day
interpersonal interactions.
He thinks privacy is a human right.
All lectures 4
