CMS.S60 / CMS.S96 Technopanics: Moral Panics about Technology, Spring 2013
Author(s)
Szablewicz, Marcella Therese
Alternative Title
Technopanics: Moral Panics about Technology
Date Issued
June 2013
Abstract
Hacking and trolling; mass murders and bullying. What do these have in common? One theory holds that these are all "deviant" social behaviors, occurring both online and off, which have purportedly been brought about or exacerbated by our new media environment. Such aberrant behaviors seemingly give us ample reason to fear digital and social media. But is technology to blame? We will grapple with this question as we investigate how our understanding of new technologies and media is socially shaped and, in turn, how new media might influence our social behavior. We will begin by studying how similar panics about "old" media (books, film, television and even the written word itself) set historical precedents for these current fears. Along the way we will establish and explore issues embedded in debates about new media, including questions of class, gender, youth, sex, and violence. Such topics will be placed in cross-cultural perspective, allowing us to compare the nature of panics over contemporary events and issues—e.g. the Columbine school shootings, cyber-bullying, Japanese otaku, and the Chinese "Human Flesh Search Engine"—occurring within both the United States and East Asia. Students will read essays, keep media journals and watch films pertaining to weekly topics.
Subjects
hacking
trolling
hacker
troll
mass-murder
bully
deviance
deviant
new media
old media
middle-aged media
media
technology
behavior
otaku
artifact
politics
society
outsiders
marihuana
control
moral
panic
writing
print
plato
phaedrus
jowett
conciousness
orality
literacy
anxieties
anxiety
modernity
penny
dreadful
juvenile
crime
delinquency
delinquent
children
television
chip
regulation
seduction
innocence
innocent
movies
film
Marx
Engles
Jenkins
ruling
lass
gender
youth
sex
violence
digital
threat
treat
affect
virus
body
stupid
facebook
bookface
google
internet
book
identity
deception
virtual
community
flesh
reddit
vigilante
weirdness
crackdown
Sterling
Doctorow
pornography
predator
porn
terror
terrorism
grief
resistance
drama
teen
gossip
network
public
private
video
game
videogame
columbine
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Terms of Use
This site (c) Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2022. Content within individual courses is (c) by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is providing this Work (as defined below) under the terms of this Creative Commons public license ("CCPL" or "license") unless otherwise noted. The Work is protected by copyright and/or other applicable law. Any use of the work other than as authorized under this license is prohibited. By exercising any of the rights to the Work provided here, You (as defined below) accept and agree to be bound by the terms of this license. The Licensor, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, grants You the rights contained here in consideration of Your acceptance of such terms and conditions.
Persistent DSpace Link
