lOMoARcPSD|3082266
1
New Media Studies (De Wolf):
all lectures + notes
, lOMoARcPSD|3082266
2
1INTRODUCTION AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON TECHN. AND
SOCIETY
1.1 PERSONALIZED ADS ON TV
“You have a cat? Brace yourselves for ‘Whiskas- advertising”
thoughts?
Social dynamics in home context that you don’t have.
Grasp your attention on products you might buy instead of walking away or doing something
else whilst watching the ad
Might make you think about “creepy” that they know these intrusive, “big brother”
Problem: lower income for commercial broadcasting because of delayed/ online viewing
Solution: implementing online targeted advertising in television context
Societal issues/reflections?
Privacy: “creepy” social privacy issues: most of us have own devices. Imagine young girl who
is pregnant and receives pregnancy ads on tv and has to confess to her parents different
dynamics
Opt-in versus opt-out: can someone opt in for it? digital literacy issues
Filter bubble: online environments can be personal environments with your bubble
Example poster of world’s fair in Chicago with technical developments that were showed at this fair.
Quote: “Science finds, industry applies and man adapts” from nowadays perspective: not how it
should be, like sheep following the technology
One-dimensional vision: shows how technology is put first and society is put last.
Positive view on social media: Zuckerberg claims that it will empower people, will help us. “Give
people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”
Arab spring: social media represented as a katalyst for revolution
Negative view on social media: now as a digital gangster that’s destroying democracy, arab spring is
utopian
Other things that will make our lives easier, more energy efficient, structured like smart home
technology. Not just smart thermostats but also about how households should work (what is
appropriate interaction) smart home automation is intensifying our way of life.
What do these images have in common? Technological determinism
1.2 THEORIES
TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIAL DETERMINISM
DETERMINISM
= technology is the driving force in Proposes that factors in society create
developing the structure of society and specific uses of technology. Social norms,
culture. It molds society to fit its patterns attitudes, cultural practices, religious
and will change it.” beliefs are directly impacting how
technology is used and what its social
“Scots kids who spend the most time online are consequences are.
most unhappy” “Scots kids who are most
unhappy spend the most time online” Ignores technology to a certain extent.
What matters isn’t the technology itself,
but the social or economic system in
which it’s embedded.
FB isn’t an open system that makes us more
social & open, it’s a manifestation of neo-
liberal system that exploits its users (= social
deterministic, dystopian). It doesn’t
empower society
, lOMoARcPSD|3082266
3
Truth? In the middle of these 2 things:
Technology influences society
Society influences technology
= mutual shaping without being too technological of social deterministic
We need to be mindful of both sides
Technology and society are writing each other into existence
Example of determinism:
Integration of online social network platforms in daily life. These communication channels are more
accessible
+ made to work alongside existing channels (telephone, face-to-face conversations).
Who would say what?
Technological determinism: this technology directly affects our ability to network (without it,
it is impossible to maintain friendships over a long distance)
Social determinism: this technology was born out of the need to be able to maintain
friendships over a long distance
Mutual shaping: it is both, and can also be viewed both separately. Technology and society
are linked and work together to reinforce each other
1.3 STRUCTURE VS AGENCY
Structural tradition: society is an independent entity that influences how humans act, think and feel.
Doing things yourself, assigning meaning to your actions
Agency perspective: more emphasis on humans, their actions and especially the meaning they assign
to those actions.
Examples social media as…
SOCIAL MEDIA AS ‘NETWORKED PUBLICS’ (BOYD)
“Spaces constructed through networked technologies; and imagined communities that emerge as a
result of the intersection of people, technology and practice” (Boyd)
Social media acts as a facilitator. View = all the dots are connected (community).
Interactionist perspective: not technological/social deterministic, but shaping each other
Emphasis on identity or community development or presentation of self-development
agency
Affordances & dynamics: features of an object that allow you to do something, it shapes your
practices, but doesn’t define them
SOCIAL MEDIA AS ‘ EXTENSIVE COMMODIFICATION’ (FUCHS)
View = “we have to pay nothing, even the food is free!” you’re selling your own personal info for
“free”. Personal data is being used and re-used to send personalized ads. Nothing is free, we don’t
pay for social media, since we are the product that’s being sold.)
“Social networking sites are especially suited for targeted advertising because they store and
communicate a vast amount of personal likes and dislikes of users that allow surveillance of these data
for economic purposes, finding out which products the users are likely to buy. This explains why
targeted advertising is the main source of income and the business model of most profit-oriented
social networking sites” (Fuchs)
, lOMoARcPSD|3082266
4
Political economist perspective: focus on the political implications of economical structures
and their organization.
Emphasis on economic aspects, no interaction: a “like” isn’t a confirmation of an identity, but
is part of capitalist logic
Double commodification:
1) we’re being exploited because we are not being paid for handing out our information
2) they are using our info to send personalized ads to sell us something our personal
information is adapted to principles of the market
New media are deciding how we behave. We’re being exploited or being estranged from the
technology that we’re using.
NETWORKED PUBLIC VS COMMODIFICATION
Social media as networked publics: what about structure?
Social media as commodification: what about agency, do we have a voice?
Important to keep both perspectives in mind
1
New Media Studies (De Wolf):
all lectures + notes
, lOMoARcPSD|3082266
2
1INTRODUCTION AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON TECHN. AND
SOCIETY
1.1 PERSONALIZED ADS ON TV
“You have a cat? Brace yourselves for ‘Whiskas- advertising”
thoughts?
Social dynamics in home context that you don’t have.
Grasp your attention on products you might buy instead of walking away or doing something
else whilst watching the ad
Might make you think about “creepy” that they know these intrusive, “big brother”
Problem: lower income for commercial broadcasting because of delayed/ online viewing
Solution: implementing online targeted advertising in television context
Societal issues/reflections?
Privacy: “creepy” social privacy issues: most of us have own devices. Imagine young girl who
is pregnant and receives pregnancy ads on tv and has to confess to her parents different
dynamics
Opt-in versus opt-out: can someone opt in for it? digital literacy issues
Filter bubble: online environments can be personal environments with your bubble
Example poster of world’s fair in Chicago with technical developments that were showed at this fair.
Quote: “Science finds, industry applies and man adapts” from nowadays perspective: not how it
should be, like sheep following the technology
One-dimensional vision: shows how technology is put first and society is put last.
Positive view on social media: Zuckerberg claims that it will empower people, will help us. “Give
people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”
Arab spring: social media represented as a katalyst for revolution
Negative view on social media: now as a digital gangster that’s destroying democracy, arab spring is
utopian
Other things that will make our lives easier, more energy efficient, structured like smart home
technology. Not just smart thermostats but also about how households should work (what is
appropriate interaction) smart home automation is intensifying our way of life.
What do these images have in common? Technological determinism
1.2 THEORIES
TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIAL DETERMINISM
DETERMINISM
= technology is the driving force in Proposes that factors in society create
developing the structure of society and specific uses of technology. Social norms,
culture. It molds society to fit its patterns attitudes, cultural practices, religious
and will change it.” beliefs are directly impacting how
technology is used and what its social
“Scots kids who spend the most time online are consequences are.
most unhappy” “Scots kids who are most
unhappy spend the most time online” Ignores technology to a certain extent.
What matters isn’t the technology itself,
but the social or economic system in
which it’s embedded.
FB isn’t an open system that makes us more
social & open, it’s a manifestation of neo-
liberal system that exploits its users (= social
deterministic, dystopian). It doesn’t
empower society
, lOMoARcPSD|3082266
3
Truth? In the middle of these 2 things:
Technology influences society
Society influences technology
= mutual shaping without being too technological of social deterministic
We need to be mindful of both sides
Technology and society are writing each other into existence
Example of determinism:
Integration of online social network platforms in daily life. These communication channels are more
accessible
+ made to work alongside existing channels (telephone, face-to-face conversations).
Who would say what?
Technological determinism: this technology directly affects our ability to network (without it,
it is impossible to maintain friendships over a long distance)
Social determinism: this technology was born out of the need to be able to maintain
friendships over a long distance
Mutual shaping: it is both, and can also be viewed both separately. Technology and society
are linked and work together to reinforce each other
1.3 STRUCTURE VS AGENCY
Structural tradition: society is an independent entity that influences how humans act, think and feel.
Doing things yourself, assigning meaning to your actions
Agency perspective: more emphasis on humans, their actions and especially the meaning they assign
to those actions.
Examples social media as…
SOCIAL MEDIA AS ‘NETWORKED PUBLICS’ (BOYD)
“Spaces constructed through networked technologies; and imagined communities that emerge as a
result of the intersection of people, technology and practice” (Boyd)
Social media acts as a facilitator. View = all the dots are connected (community).
Interactionist perspective: not technological/social deterministic, but shaping each other
Emphasis on identity or community development or presentation of self-development
agency
Affordances & dynamics: features of an object that allow you to do something, it shapes your
practices, but doesn’t define them
SOCIAL MEDIA AS ‘ EXTENSIVE COMMODIFICATION’ (FUCHS)
View = “we have to pay nothing, even the food is free!” you’re selling your own personal info for
“free”. Personal data is being used and re-used to send personalized ads. Nothing is free, we don’t
pay for social media, since we are the product that’s being sold.)
“Social networking sites are especially suited for targeted advertising because they store and
communicate a vast amount of personal likes and dislikes of users that allow surveillance of these data
for economic purposes, finding out which products the users are likely to buy. This explains why
targeted advertising is the main source of income and the business model of most profit-oriented
social networking sites” (Fuchs)
, lOMoARcPSD|3082266
4
Political economist perspective: focus on the political implications of economical structures
and their organization.
Emphasis on economic aspects, no interaction: a “like” isn’t a confirmation of an identity, but
is part of capitalist logic
Double commodification:
1) we’re being exploited because we are not being paid for handing out our information
2) they are using our info to send personalized ads to sell us something our personal
information is adapted to principles of the market
New media are deciding how we behave. We’re being exploited or being estranged from the
technology that we’re using.
NETWORKED PUBLIC VS COMMODIFICATION
Social media as networked publics: what about structure?
Social media as commodification: what about agency, do we have a voice?
Important to keep both perspectives in mind
