CMST 3CY3 UT Social Media Perspective of the Youth Like This Documentary Review

In this 1500-word reflection, you will present your review of the documentary Like Thisthat you have watched during the week of Jan 19-25. Both the documentary film and the Q&A session are mandatory viewing.

In doing so, you will also explore your own relationship to social media (or the lack thereof) when you were a child or youth. The paper should have an academic tone yet be personal and subjective.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Title: You need an original and creative title for this paper. Similar to movie reviews, your title should be straight to the point and somewhat “catchy.” It should not be “Like This review” or “Documentary Review” or “Assignment 1”

By reading the title, the reader should learn your overall impression of the documentary as well as the name of the documentary.

Introduction: Your “introduction” paragraph will be an overview of the session.

?  Introduce the documentary (producers, country of origin, genre, name, length, etc)

?  Include a brief synopsis: what the documentary is about – in your own words, not the   producers’ words.

?  At the end of your introduction, include 1-3 sentences that summarize your impression of   the documentary.   Body paragraphs: Your body paragraphs will answer the following questions (in any order of your choice):

? What are two (2) important things you learned from the documentary about children, youth, and social media use? Illustrate your review with at least two (2) specific examples from the documentary.

?  At least one (1) direct quote from the documentary should be included.

what you shouldn’t be doing to others and how you should be treating

people.”), you will also need to analyze another direct quote.? In what ways can you make a connection between the (2) examples above and your 

experience?

1

?  Be specific in bringing up examples from your own experience as a child or youth. In addition to describing your example (e.g. what you did, how you felt, which social media platforms…), you should also include your age and location (where you lived back then). A reflection upon this example is required (e.g. what do you learn from your own example and how does that connect to the documentary and course materials?)

?  In your reflection, address at least two (2) of these three (3) sets of questions:

As a child or youth, what did you do on social media? How often did you spend time on social media? How did social media help shape your social relationships (e.g. keeping in touch with real-life friends and making new friends online), if at all?

?  What is one (1) suggestion to improve the documentary? You may also include up to 3 suggestions.

?  Can you propose a follow-up documentary (e.g. a sequel, “part two”)? (This question is not mandatory).

?  Who is the ideal audience(s) for the documentary? Would you recommend this documentary and to whom?   Conclusion: Your conclusion should emphasize your takeaway of the documentary, ending with a strong, decisive sentence, leaving the reader with a lingering sense of interest in your review.   Writing tips and requirements:

?  An A+ paper for this assignment should be highly personal (we want to read your honest, original thoughts!), supported by specific examples from both the documentary and your personal experience (this paper is written by you, not just any student!), and connected closely to course materials (we want to see you relate at least one course concept to your experience).

CMST 3CY3
Children, Youth, and Media
Prof. Kim Khanh Tran
trank33@mmcmaster.ca
Week 1 – Jan 10, 2023
1
TODAY’S AGENDA
Introduction
& Classroom expectations
01
Syllabus review
02
Questions & Answers
03
2
Instructor: Kim Khanh Tran (she/her)
B.A., Psychology & Sexuality Studies (York University)
M.A., Gender Studies (Queen’s University)
PhD (ABD), Communication, New Media, and Cultural Studies
(McMaster University)
●
●
●
Research interests:
○ Youth fans of global popular cultures
○ Race, gender, and sexuality in fan cultures & online fandom
○ Feminist and queer methods, theories, and epistemologies
Email: trank33@mcmaster.ca
○ Start your email with “Dear Prof Tran” or “Dear Kim”
○ End with your name and student number
○ Include 3CY3 in your subject line
Office hours: TSH-333 Thursdays 3:30pm – 4:20pm – By appointment.
My research website:
https://mysmeproject.weebly.com/
3
Other classroom expectations
1.
2.
3.
On Week 6, I will send out an anonymous survey so you can let me know how I can assist in
making a better learning environment for you.
Any time a “popular” media text (apps, platforms, websites, memes, etc) comes up during the
class or discussion posts, the speaker/writer is required to briefly introduce and explain the
text. This serves as a reminder to everyone that “popular culture” holds different meanings
depending on who’s defining it. Not everyone in the class grows up with the same media.
At the end of every class, students have the opportunity to ask anonymous questions about
class content or other concerns. I will then address these questions/concerns to the class.
4
Join at slido.com
#1865632
ⓘ Start presenting to display the joining instructions on this slide.
6
Submit questions or comments about
the lecture here. I will address all
submissions at the end of class. You
are welcome to remain anonymous.
Your submissions will be included in
the presentation slides and shared
with the class on Avenue.
Interaction during lectures!
What are your reasons for
taking this course?
ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide.
8
9
Have you read the syllabus?
ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide.
Questions?
For quick answers: Raise your hand in class
For Q&A sessions (anonymous) at the end of class:
Use Slido Q&A!
(The Slido code will change every class)
All questions and answers will be included in the
slides and shared on Avenue after class.
11
Syllabus review
12
Week 2 and Week 3
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Week 2 – 17 January: 4:30PM – 6:20PM. Room BSB B156 (in-person – normal schedule)
Week 2 – 19 January: Like This Documentary Screening (View at home) – No class
○ Access link will be available on Avenue only between 19 and 25 January.
○ Mandatory viewing. You have to view the documentary in order to write your first
assignment. This documentary is not available publicly online.
Week 3 – 24 January: Mandatory attendance. Annotated Bibliography Library Workshop (Online Synchronous on Zoom, 4:30PM – 6:20PM) – No class
Week 3 – 26 January: Mandatory attendance. Literature Review Strategies Workshop (Online Synchronous on Zoom, 4:30PM – 5:20PM) – No class
Week 4: Class returns in-person (normal schedule). Room BSB B156
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Major themes
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Research on children, youth, and media that prioritizes children and youth’s voices
Case examples from different cultures and countries
Intersections of race, gender, sexuality, disability, nation, location, and other identity markers
(theory of intersectionality – 2TM6)
Diverse positions about children and youth’s media use (positive, negative, and in between)
Emphasis on being personal in academic writing
Evaluation of writing, research, and critical thinking skills
14
Assignments
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Weekly Online Discussion Posts (10 x 4%). Due on Avenue every Monday. No extension.
○ You have to complete the weekly readings for Week 2 before writing your Week 2 posts.
○ There will be 12 Weekly Discussion Prompts (12 weeks). Only the 10 highest marks will
count.
○ You won’t be able to post after 1AM on Tuesday. Posts between 12AM-1AM are not
considered late.
Like This Reflection Paper (15%) – Due Feb 9 on Avenue.
○ Assignment sheet will be posted by the end of this week.
There’s an App for That (15%) – Due Mar 23 on Avenue.
○ Assignment sheet will be posted by the end of this week.
Final Paper (30%):
○ Working Thesis and Annotated Bibliography: 10%. Due Mar 2 on Avenue
○ Paper: 20%. Due April 12 on Avenue.
15
The Social Dilemma Documentary (2020 – USA)

Available on Netflix (NOT COURSE MATERIAL. You are not required to watch this.)
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Like This Documentary (2021)
“Everything we get told is about what we shouldn’t share and what we
shouldn’t post, like sharing nudes, not about what you shouldn’t be doing to
others and how you should be treating people.”
produced by the House of Muchness and commissioned by Child Wise (Australia)
“Imagine if ‘The Social Dilemma’ was actually delivered from the young
person’s perspective instead of by adults. Well, this is it!”
https://www.childwise.org.au/news/4/like-this-a-documentary-about-social-media
17
Like This Documentary (2021)

The full film is not publicly available. You will have access to the film on Avenue from Jan 19 to Jan 25.
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Assignments – Extension request
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To request an assignment extension, you must email the instructor (trank33@mcmaster.ca) at
least 24 hours before the due date. You are not asked to provide a reason, but please specify
how many extra days you would like.
To receive a quick reply, your email subject line must include: 3CY3 Assignment Extension. We
will try our best to accommodate all requests, but please do your best in letting us know in
advance.
Other late extensions will be given on a case-by-case basis.
No extension will be given for the weekly discussion posts.
19
Week 1 – Reading List (Jan 12)
MediaSmarts – Mediasmarts.ca
Digital & Media Literacy Fundamentals (All sections)
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CMST 3CY3 – Like This Reflection Paper (15%)
Winter 2022 • Kim Khanh Tran
Due date: Due Thursday Feb 9, 23:59 on Avenue
In this 1500-word reflection, you will present your review of the documentary Like This that you
have watched during the week of Jan 19-25. Both the documentary film and the Q&A
session are mandatory viewing.
In doing so, you will also explore your own relationship to social media (or the lack
thereof) when you were a child or youth. The paper should have an academic tone yet be
personal and subjective.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Title: You need an original and creative title for this paper. Similar to movie reviews, your title
should be straight to the point and somewhat “catchy.” It should not be “Like This review” or
“Documentary Review” or “Assignment 1”
By reading the title, the reader should learn your overall impression of the documentary
as well as the name of the documentary.
Introduction: Your “introduction” paragraph will be an overview of the session.
● Introduce the documentary (producers, country of origin, genre, name, length, etc)
● Include a brief synopsis: what the documentary is about – in your own words, not the
producers’ words.
● At the end of your introduction, include 1-3 sentences that summarize your impression of
the documentary.
Body paragraphs: Your body paragraphs will answer the following questions (in any order of
your choice):
● What are two (2) important things you learned from the documentary about children,
youth, and social media use? Illustrate your review with at least two (2) specific
examples from the documentary.
○ In your writing, describe the example and include the timestamp in brackets, then
follow up with your original insight.
○ At least one (1) direct quote from the documentary should be included.
■ If you want to explore this quote (“Everything we get told is about what we
shouldn’t share and what we shouldn’t post, like sharing nudes, not about
what you shouldn’t be doing to others and how you should be treating
people.”), you will also need to analyze another direct quote.
● In what ways can you make a connection between the (2) examples above and your
own relationship to social media (or the lack thereof) when you were a child or youth?
○ In what ways do these examples share similarities and/or differences to your own
experience?
1
○
●
●
●
Be specific in bringing up examples from your own experience as a child or
youth. In addition to describing your example (e.g. what you did, how you felt,
which social media platforms…), you should also include your age and location
(where you lived back then). A reflection upon this example is required (e.g. what
do you learn from your own example and how does that connect to the
documentary and course materials?)
○ In your reflection, address at least two (2) of these three (3) sets of
questions:
■ What are some social, cultural and/or biographical factors that initially
drew you to social media? What were your first social media accounts?
■ As a child or youth, what did you do on social media? How often did you
spend time on social media? How did social media help shape your social
relationships (e.g. keeping in touch with real-life friends and making new
friends online), if at all?
■ How has your relationship with social media during your youth and
childhood shaped and reshaped your perspectives and values?
What is one (1) suggestion to improve the documentary? You may also include up to 3
suggestions.
Can you propose a follow-up documentary (e.g. a sequel, “part two”)? (This question is
not mandatory).
Who is the ideal audience(s) for the documentary? Would you recommend this
documentary and to whom?
Conclusion: Your conclusion should emphasize your takeaway of the documentary, ending with
a strong, decisive sentence, leaving the reader with a lingering sense of interest in your review.
Writing tips and requirements:
● An A+ paper for this assignment should be highly personal (we want to read your
honest, original thoughts!), supported by specific examples from both the documentary
and your personal experience (this paper is written by you, not just any student!), and
connected closely to course materials (we want to see you relate at least one course
concept to your experience).
● The paper should have an academic tone yet be personal and subjective.
○ You are welcome to use “I” statements in your paper.
○ A “reflection” paper needs to be grounded in course readings and the
documentary film. You need in-text citations for the examples and quotes (both
indirect and direct) from the documentary and readings.
● Be concise. Each paragraph should not exceed ¾ page in length. Each sentence should
contain no more than 30 words. Please make sure to write complete sentences.
● Each paragraph presents one point, supported by specific examples and evidence. No
claims should be made without supporting evidence or examples.
● When including a quote or an example, follow up with your own analysis and
interpretation, explaining how this example/quote relates to your point.
2
●
Any paper under 1300 words or over 1700 words will be penalized (10% for each 100
words).
Formatting:
– Your paper must be typed using 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, on
standard-sized paper (8.5″ x 11″), with 1″ margins on all sides.
– Your paper must be formatted using APA 7. Please note that there are some differences
between APA 6 and 7, so what you have been familiar with in previous courses may no
longer apply. Major APA mistakes will be penalized.
– To cite the documentary: follow the instructions for Audiovisual Media – Film or Video
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_g
uide/reference_list_audiovisual_media.html
– Include a title page and a reference page. No abstract is required.
● The APA 7 guide can be found here:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guid
e/general_format.html
● The sample paper can be found here:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guid
e/apa_sample_paper.html
References:
● Your paper must engage with at least one course text.
● You must include in-text citations for all ideas that are not your own, as well as including
these sources in your reference list. When in doubt, provide a citation.
Submission: On Avenue, under Assessment > Assignments > Like This Reflection Essay
[folder]. Your submission must be a PDF file. We do not accept Word documents or Pages files.
Grading criteria: Will be posted by the end of the week.
3
CMST 3CY3
Week 2 – Media Literacy (Jan 17)
Prof. Kim Khanh Tran
trank33@mmcmaster.ca
Week 2 – Jan 17, 2023
1
Join at slido.com
#8276890
ⓘ Start presenting to display the joining instructions on this slide.
3
When you answer a question on
the slide, make sure to go to
“polls”, NOT Q&A. The question
on the slide should also be on
your screen.
Your submissions will be included in
the presentation slides and shared
with the class on Avenue.
Interaction during lectures!
Questions?
For quick answers: Raise your hand in class
For Q&A sessions (anonymous) at the end of class:
Use Slido Q&A!
(The Slido code will change every class)
All questions and answers will be included in the
slides and shared on Avenue after class.
4
3CY3 emails
●
●
All course-related emails should be sent to Prof Tran (trank33@mcmaster.ca)
○ You will receive a response within 48 hours (excluding holidays and weekends)
○ Exception: Questions about your marks (if your marker’s initials are SJ) should be sent to
Sarah (jafars8@mcmaster.ca)
I will be out of office from Jan 19 to Jan 22. I will respond to your email upon my return on the
23rd.
5
TODAY’S AGENDA
Digital Media Literacy
(cont’d from Jan 12)
01
Digital Natives/Digital
Immigrants
02
Like This Reflection Paper
03
6
Digital Media Literacy – Definition
1.
2.
3.
4.
From Jan 12 lecture
Access: being able to access devices in order to use and consume media and to find content
with tools such as search engines, databases, wikis and streaming services.
Use: the technical skills needed to use digital and media tools like cameras, computers, mobile
devices, software and online platforms.
Understand: thinking critically about how and why media are made; examining the impact that
media have on us and on society; and reflecting on how we use digital and media tools.
Engage: using media effectively and responsibly to participate in our online and offline
communities as engaged and responsible citizens.
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals
/what-digital-media-literacy
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Digital Media Literacy Fundamentals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Media are constructions
Media have commercial implications
Media have social and political implications
Audiences negotiate meaning
Each medium has a unique aesthetic form
Digital media are networked.
Digital media are persistent, searchable and shareable.
Digital media have unknown and unexpected audiences.
Interactions through digital media have real impact
Digital media experiences are shaped by the tools we use.
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
8
#1: Media are constructions
Media works are created by individuals who make choices about what to include, what to leave out
and how to present what is included.
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Who created this media work?
What is its purpose?
What assumptions or beliefs do its creators have that are reflected in the content?
What choices did they make in creating it?
What conditions might have limited their choices?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
9
#2: Media have commercial implications
Media industries belong to a powerful network of corporations that exert influence on content and
distribution. Understanding the business model of a media work’s maker is key to analyzing it.
E.g. News outlets may be influenced by the views or interests of their owners, their content is much
more affected by a commercial consideration: the views of their audience. Online platforms (search
engine or social network): what implications using it might have for your privacy and what purposes
their algorithms might have been optimized for.
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What is the commercial purpose of this media work (in other words, how will it help someone
make money)?
How does this influence the content and how it’s communicated?
How did considerations of cost influence how the work was made (casting, special effects,
coding, etc.)?
How do those purposes influence the content and how it’s communicated?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
10
#3: Media have social and political implications
Media convey ideological messages about values, power and authority. Who or what is absent in
media may be more important than what or who is included. These messages may be the result of
conscious decisions, but more often they are the result of unconscious biases and unquestioned
assumptions – and they can have a significant influence on what we think and believe.
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Who and what is shown in a positive light? In a negative light?
Why might these people and things be shown this way?
Who and what is not shown at all? What voices, perspectives, and experiences are missing?
What conclusions might audiences draw based on the above?
What are the views of the expected audience? How might those influence the media work?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
11
#4: Audiences negotiate meaning
Different audiences can take away different meanings from the same work.
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How might different people see this media work differently?
How does this make you feel, based on how similar or different you are from the people
portrayed in the media work?
How were the media makers influenced by their perception of the intended audience?
What alternative readings are possible?
How does the medium or genre influence how easy or hard it is to “read against the text”?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
12
#5: Each medium has a unique aesthetic form
The content of media depends in part on the nature of the medium. This includes the technical,
commercial and storytelling demands of each medium: for instance, the interactive nature of video
games leads to different forms of storytelling than what are found in film and TV. Different media
require different levels of ‘literacy’ to understand them, as they rely on codes and conventions to
communicate meaning.
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What techniques does the media work use to get your attention and to communicate its
message?
In what ways are the images in the media work manipulated through various techniques (for
example: lighting, makeup, camera angle, photo manipulation)?
What are the expectations of the genre (for example: print advertising, TV dramas, reaction
videos, Instagram stories) towards its subject?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
13
#6: Digital media are networked.
In traditional media, content only flowed one way: producers
created it, then sold or licensed it to distributors who then
brought it to you. In digital media, by contrast, you’re no longer
the final link in a distribution chain but a node in the middle of
an infinite network. You can share content with other people
as easily as a producer or distributor shares it with you.
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Where does this work sit in the network? What
Networked tools can you use to help interact with or interpret it?
Who has control over what passes between nodes of this network? Who has influence?
What is easy to access through this network? What is more difficult?
How are you expected to interact with this message?
How might the expected interactions influence how it was made?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
14
#7: Digital media are shareable and persistent.
Digital content is permanent: everything that is transmitted is stored somewhere and can be searched
for and indexed. Because it’s persistent, digital content is mostly consumed asynchronously: we
typically react or reply to something at a time other than when it’s posted, and reactions to our
reactions will also come at a later, usually unpredictable time. This can make digital media hard to turn
off, since a reaction – or a chance for us to respond to something – may come at any time.
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How did this work reach you? Was it because you are mutual friends with the maker, because
you follow the maker, because someone else shared it with you, or because you found it in a
different way? How did the architecture of the platform (such as a recommendation algorithm)
influence how it was delivered to you?
What might make it easier or harder to share this message?
If you made the work, how did you share it? How did that influence how you made it?
Was the work meant to be shared widely? If so, what did the maker do to encourage others to
share it? If not, what did the maker do to try to limit people’s ability to share or copy it?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
15
#8: Digital media have unexpected audiences.
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Who was the intended audience for the work? How did the intended audience influence how it was
made? (For example, how would a photo you post for your friends to see be different from one for your
parents, or a romantic partner?)
How might the work be interpreted differently if it was seen by an audience other than the one it was
meant for?
Were you the intended audience for the work? If so, how did that affect how you responded to it? If not,
how did the work reach you?
How might the networks have made this work more or less likely to reach you? (e.g. recommendation
algorithms)
Which users or messages are whitelisted (exempted from being deleted, downranked or fact-checked)
by default, and which are blacklisted?
How might the creators or distributors of this work have made it more or less likely to reach you?
What things are you not being shown as result of recommendation algorithms?
What might happen if the work was seen by unexpected audiences, now or in the future?
What responsibilities do you have as a sharer of networked content?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
16
#9: Interactions through digital media have real impact
We are never just passive viewers but always a part of what’s happening in digital media. It can be very
difficult to determine someone’s actual meaning and motivation when interacting with them online.
“Majority illusion:” in which a small number of loud voices can seem like they’re speaking for the
group.
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What are the norms and values of your online communities? Do I agree with them? If not, what
can I do to shape them?
What are the possible moral and ethical consequences of different online actions?
How can we remind ourselves to feel empathy for people we’re interacting with online? What
strategies can we use to moderate conflict?
How can we use networked tools to make a difference in our online and offline communities?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
17
#10: Digital media experiences are shaped by the tools we use.
Affordances (what a tool enables you to do) and defaults (what is easy and expected to do with it.)
How we respond and behave when using digital media is influenced by the architecture of the
platforms, which reflects the biases and assumptions of their creators.
E.g. a platform that makes money from user engagement will naturally encourage interactions that
produce the most intense engagement, no matter the content of those interactions.
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What tools were used to make and distribute a work? What tools are we using?
Who made the tool? Who were the expected users? How did that influence its design?
What are the tool’s affordances? What are its defaults? How do these combine to constrain,
steer, and enable particular actions?
What uses have people put the tool to that its makers didn’t anticipate? How do they change how
it’s used?
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/key-concepts-digi
tal-media%C2%A0literacy
18
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Example: Cartoon characters on cereal boxes
Children’s cereal boxes often have cartoon
characters staring down to the child’s eye level.
The people who designed the box (media are
constructions) know that kids will ask their parents
to buy it (media have commercial implications).
Next time during your grocery shopping trip, take a
look at cereal aimed at adults and see how it’s
different (audiences negotiate meaning).
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Reality Check – The Game
From Jan 12 lecture
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/educational-ga
mes/reality-check-game
In each mission, you’ll be presented with a story on your social
network feed that might be entirely true, entirely false, or
somewhere in between.
To find out, click on the different parts of the page where you
see a magnifying glass. Once you’ve seen all the clues, you can
decide how reliable you think it is and how to respond to it.
Each scenario is designed to be played in 15 minutes or less.
The game can be played in any internet browser on computers
or mobile devices.
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Digital Natives – Digital Immigrants
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Digital Natives: A generation of young people
born into the digital age, are assumed to be
inherently technology-savvy (Prensky, 2001).
Digital Immigrants: Those who learnt to use
computers at some stage during their adult
life. Digital immigrants are assumed to resist
new technology or at least have some difficulty
accepting it. (Prensky, 2001).
Only Murders in the Building S01E03
(Hulu/Disney+, 2021)
22
Criticism of the Digital Natives/Digital Immigrants model
1.
2.
It does not address socio-economic (e.g. income, education), cultural, or other digital
divides that may lead to lack of access to the technology. (boyd, p.195)
It ignores other factors such as technology exposure and breadth of use. Accessibility to
technology does not guarantee better technology usage.
“Teens may develop an intuitive sense for how to navigate social interactions online through
casual engagement and experience, but this does not translate to an understanding of why
search queries return some content before others.” (boyd, p.197)
23
Do new technologies benefit all of us? Or just some of us?
●
●
●
●
●
British digital passports are introduced with facial-recognition software
that fails to recognize Black and brown faces.
Test-proctoring software obliges Black students to take online tests
while shining bright light directly at their faces, otherwise the proctoring
algorithm writes them off as “absent”
Zoom’s virtual background feature isn’t built for Black faces
Wikipedia male editors consistently fail to support creation of public
information pages about women’s accomplishments.
“Deep fake” technology, “revenge porn”, and a range of digital-driven
harassment (e.g., “doxxing” abuse, The Fappening, #GamerGate)
disproportionately target women and queer folks online.
24
https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/25/6
844021/apple-promised-an-expansive-he
alth-app-so-why-cant-i-track
25
Algorithms of Oppression – Safiya Umoja Noble
●
●
Discusses the racist and sexist algorithmic bias in
commercial search engines
Challenges the idea that search engines like Google offer
an equal playing field for all forms of ideas, identities, and
activities
Timeline:
●
●
Data collection: 2010-2016
Publication:
○ 2012 BITCH Magazine (PDF link)
○ 2018 Algorithms of Oppression (book)
Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. NYU Press.
26
27
https://www.wired.com/story/2017-was-the-year-we-fell-out-of-love-with-algorithms/
What is Algorithm?
●
●
●
●
Definition: A process or set of rules to be
followed in calculations or other
problem-solving operations especially by a
computer.
Ubiquitous: They’re everywhere, sometimes
we can recognize them and sometimes we
cannot
Made by humans
● What are the values prioritized in these
systems?
Private and proprietary, often biased and/or
for-profit
It took Google 3 years (2015-2018) to fix the issue…
Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. NYU Press.
28
First page of search results on keywords “black girls,” September 18, 2011. Courtesy: Safiya Noble
29
Safiya Noble’s last Google search on “black girls,” June 23, 2016.
30
My own Google search on “black girls,” Jan 17, 2022.
31
My own Google search on “black girls,” Jan 17, 2022.
32
My own Google search on “Asian girls” Jan 17, 2022.
33
My own Google search on “Asian women” Jan 17, 2022.
34
35
In early 2021, associating “Asian” with “adult
content” was a known issue in iOS 14.4.1 and
macOS 11.2.3. (Apple has since fixed this)
Algorithms are never neutral
●
●
Algorithms reinforce already existing oppressive social relationships
○ Example: Google search results for “Black girls” in 2011, Apple filtering “Asian” as a
pornographic search word (2019-2021) -> controlling narratives that lead to harmful
stereotypes
Algorithms also enact new modes of racial profiling.
○ Example: Predictive policing algorithms, including PredPol and HunchLab, inform police
deployment with estimates of where crime is most likely to occur.
○ Example: Public Safety Assessment (PSA), a software used in San Francisco and other
jurisdictions to assist judges in deciding whether defendants need to be detained before
their trial.
○ Research indicates that predictive bias in these algorithms effectively penalize people
because they’re black or happen to be a woman or living in racialized, low-income
neighbourhoods
Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. NYU Press.
36
“[I]f the Internet is a tool for progress and advancement, as has
been argued by many media scholars, then cui bono – to whose
benefit is it, and who holds the power to shape it?”
Dr. Safiya U. Noble
Cui bono? (Eng: to whom is it a benefit?), is a Latin phrase about identifying crime suspects
37
The Monopolization of Google
●
●
●
2012: Google held 66.2% of search engine market industry
2020: Google held over 90% of search engine market industry
Find, control & delete the info in your Google Account
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/7660719?hl=en
●
“[S]earch engines are increasingly positioned as a trusted public resources returning reliable
and credible information.”
What plays into our perception of Google as a public service, rather than a private one?
○ Speed
○ False notion of “neutrality”
○ “Free”
■ What are the other “free” services that you’re using?
■ What is the non-monetary cost of using them?
●
Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. NYU Press.
38
Criticism of the Digital Natives/Digital Immigrants model
3.
4.
5.
Mostly theoretical; not supported by empirical research.
Ignores that many members of the “digital immigrant” age group were in fact the pioneers
behind the technology boom of the late 20th century, and that many digital immigrants
actually are better than so-called digital natives in their fluency of technology.
Using the term “native” as a metaphor in reference to digital technologies is an appropriation
of Indigenous epistemologies. In a similar vein, using the term “immigrant” in this context
projects negative references to immigrant populations.
39
Do you know what Bcc
means in email etiquette?
ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide.
Do you know what Bcc means in email etiquette?
500+ students at the University of Illinois at
Chicago were given two surveys on how they
used the Internet, one in 2009 and the other in
2012.
1/3 participants could not identify the correct
description of the ‘bcc’ email function.
Hargittai, E., & Litt, E. (2013). New strategies for employment?
internet skills and online privacy practices during people’s job
search. IEEE security & privacy, 11(3), 38-45
41
Email etiquette: Cc and Bcc
Cc: Carbon copy
●
●
●
●
Cc recipients receive the same email as “To”
recipients any further “Reply All” responses
All recipients can see who has been Cc’d
Main recipients appear in the “To” field =
expected to respond to emails
“Cc” recipients = response is optional
Bcc: Blind carbon copy
●
Bcc recipients also receive the same email.
However, they do not see further responses in
the thread, and other recipients of the email
will not see who is Bcc’d.
42
Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement (White & LeCornu, 2011)
Digital Visitors & Digital Residents
1.
2.
●
●
●
Digital Visitors: “see the Web as a place.”
a. They are content with developing an online identity, and see the internet as a
network.
Digital Residents: “understand the Web as…an untidy garden tool shed.”
a. They have defined a goal or task and go into the shed to select an appropriate
tool which they use to attain their goal.
Not a binary!
Most of us are somewhere on a continuum, perhaps moving in one direction or
another at any one time.
We may be both Resident and Visitor.
43
44
This 7-min Youtube video by David Whites is a good recap!
Like This Reflection Paper
●
●
●
●
Assignment due Feb 9 (you can always ask for an extension)
The documentary will be made available between Jan 19-Jan 26
○ If the link isn’t up, don’t worry – it should be updated sometime this week.
○ You will have 7 days to watch it. After this period, you won’t have access to the film.
○ The documentary is not accessible elsewhere. You need to watch it using the link on A2L
during this period in order to write the reflection paper.
Assignment sheet is now posted on A2L.
Both the documentary film and the Q&A session are mandatory viewing.
45
46
“Social media”
●
●
●
●
Social media is used in a broad sense to
represent the apps and websites that allow
users to post content and/or interact with others
online.
Often used interchangeably with the term social
networking sites or services (SNS)
Different sociocultural contexts have shaped
children and youth’s digital practices and
popularity of different apps.
Examples: LinkedIn, Zoom, Microsoft Teams,
Emails, Discord, Reddit, Medium, Netflix,
Youtube, Wikipedia, WeChat, WhatsApp, LINE,
Weibo, Twitter, Tumblr,,…
○ Not just Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok!
47
REMINDER: Week 2 and Week 3
●
●
●
●
●
Week 2 – 17 January: 4:30PM – 6:20PM. Room BSB B156 (in-person – normal schedule)
Week 2 – 19 January: Like This Documentary Screening (View at home) – No class
○ Access link will be available on Avenue only between 19 and 25 January.
○ Mandatory viewing (film and Q&A session). You have to view the documentary in order to
write your first assignment. This documentary is not available publicly online.
Week 3 – 24 January: Mandatory attendance. Annotated Bibliography Library Workshop (Online Synchronous on Zoom, 4:30PM – 6:20PM) – No class
○ Zoom link is posted on A2L
Week 3 – 26 January: Mandatory attendance. Literature Review Strategies Workshop (Online Synchronous on Zoom, 4:30PM – 5:20PM) – No class
○ Zoom link is posted on A2L
Week 4: Class returns in-person (normal schedule). Room BSB B156
48
Audience Q&A Session
ⓘ Start presenting to display the audience questions on this slide.
CMST 3CY3
Children, Youth, and Media
Week 4 – Jan 31
Prof. Kim Khanh Tran
trank33@mcmaster.ca
1
Assignments
●
●
●
●
Discussion Posts Week 2, 3 and 4 (4% x 3): Will be returned by the end of this week.
Like This reflection paper (15%): Due Feb 9. Grading criteria/Rubric will be posted this
week.
○ Send me an email to request an extension.
There’s an App for That (15%): Due March 23. We will discuss the assignment sheet
today.
Final Paper (30%):
○ Working Thesis and Annotated Bibliography: 10%. Due Mar 2.
○ Paper: 20%. Due April 12.
2
TODAY’S AGENDA
How to read
01
There’s an App for that
Assignment Sheet
02
Questions & Answers
03
3
Join at slido.com
#4045430
ⓘ Start presenting to display the joining instructions on this slide.
What do you have to read for class?
●
●
●
●
Academic journal articles (e.g. Week 7)
○ Specialized and up-to-date research, theories and debates in
communication & media studies, written by academics
Academic book/book chapters/edited collection (e.g. Week 4)
○ Key research, debates, discussion, and theories about a topic
Newspapers and magazines (popular sources)
○ Up-to-date developments, current issues and events, written by
journalists (Week 5)
Specialist organizations’ websites (e.g. Week 4 Building Bandwidth)
○ Online specialist information on a topic
Here are only a few examples!
5
Why do you have to read for class?
●
●
●
Review the syllabus and ask yourself, why did the instructor assign these pages?
Ask yourself:
○ What is the “big picture” of the reading?
○ How does it fit into the context of the course and other readings in the
same week?
○ How can you use this reading for any assignments in this class or others?
The slides and lectures are delivered with the assumption you have read the
readings. There will be no detailed recap.
6
Active reading tip #1
Get comfortable.
Eliminate potential distractions (e.g. removing outside communication).
Schedule reading time.
Where and when do you usually do your class readings?
7
Where and when do you
usually do your class
readings?
ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide.
Active reading tip #2
Pre-reading reflection – recalling background knowledge.
Ask yourself:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What do I already know about this topic before reading?
What topics or issues do I think this text will address?
What do I want to learn from this text?
What is my purpose of reading this?
9
Active reading tip #3
Identify the theme of the course and see how it relates to the weekly readings.
Ask:
1. What kind of context is being set from what I have learned in previous
classes?
2. How do the assigned readings of the week relate to each other?
3. Why was this reading assigned?
4. When was this text published?
a. Is the data still useful or are more current statistics available?
b. Are the theories in the text still valid or have researchers moved on?
c. Sometimes an “old” text can still provide useful data, or data that is
useful in specific contexts and/or applicable to other contexts.
10
Active reading tip #4
Know the author.
Understand the author’s positionality. This allows you to better visualize the
direction in which the authors want to head, and consider what they are
emphasizing or avoiding mentioning.
Ask:
●
●
●
Where did they receive their education?
What is their experience with the topic?
Are they affiliated with a political, religious, or cultural group?
11
Active reading tip #5
Question and deconstruct the assumptions.
Ask:
●
●
●
●
●
Why did they make this assumption?
How reasonable is applying this assumption to your social world?
What references do they make to support their assumptions?
How is the reading organized? (Subheadings? Chronological order?)
What or whose perspective(s) or argument(s) are not included in this
text?
12
Active reading tip #6
Circle unfamiliar words. Google what you’re unsure about.
E.g. a word used by the author, some facts (fact-checking) or theories
mentioned, or a scenario you’re unfamiliar with that needs some visualization.
Ask:
●
●
Can I explain what I’ve just Googled to the rest of the class?
What did the reading not explain that I should know? (concepts already
discussed in previous lectures and readings)
○ Create a glossary of new concepts?
13
Active reading tip #7
Summarize what you read.
Read it once actively, set it aside for a bit, and then internally formulate or
write up a summary of what you just read.
This way, your brain has been exposed to the information twice, and it will take
less work to memorize facts for the final exam.
Ask:
●
●
●
Will I be able to explain this reading to family and friends when they ask
me what I just read?
What major concepts emerged from the reading?
What questions do you still have after reading?
14
Know that you can’t do everything.
●
●
Learn what you can get done and prioritize effectively. Can you:
○ Work with other students to break up the reading, and then discuss
it in a group later?
○ Let something go in a class you’re acing and focus on a course where
you’re struggling?
○ Skim material for one course, allowing yourself to read materials for
another with more time and attention?
Slow reading is not a bad thing. You take all the time you need to engage
with the text.
15
Annotating Texts
●
●
●
A systematic summary of the text that
you create within the document
A key tool for close reading that helps
you uncover patterns, notice important
words, and identify main points
An active learning strategy that
improves comprehension and retention
of information
16
How to annotate
●
●
Summarize key points in your own words.
○ Use headers and words in bold or italics to guide you
○ Look for main ideas, arguments, and points of evidence
○ Notice how the text organizes itself. Chronological order? Idea trees?
○ Draw connections to what you know and wonder
Highlight/circle key concepts and phrases
○ What words would it be helpful to look-up at the end?
○ What terms show up in lecture? When are different words used for
similar concepts? Why?
○ What concepts have been showing up in other readings and weeks?
17
How to annotate
●
●
Write brief comments and questions in the margins
○ Be as specific or broad as you would like—use these questions to
activate your thinking about the content
Use abbreviations and symbols
○ Try ? when you have a question or something you need to explore
further
○ Try ! When something is interesting, a connection, or otherwise worthy
of note
○ Try * For anything that you might use as an example or evidence when
you use this information.
○ Ask yourself what other system of symbols would make sense to you.
18
Highlighting strategies
●
Highlight/underline: Not too much, not too little.
○ Only highlight after you’ve reached the end of a paragraph or a section.
Stop and think about what you read and determine the main concepts
before you highlight.
○ Limit yourself to highlighting one sentence or phrase per paragraph.
○ Highlight key words and phrases instead of full sentences. When
looking back over these words and phrases, quiz yourself on them
before reading further.
○ Consider color-coding: choose one color for definitions and key points
and another color for examples.
○ Using your own words, write summaries of the key concepts you’ve
highlighted in the margins or in a separate set of notes.
19
Reading actively – PRACTICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Skimming the text.
Recalling your background knowledge about its topic.
Scanning for specific information.
In-depth reading to find the key points.
Making sense of texts containing difficult words.
Ideally you will do all 5 steps for each reading, but for this in-lecture
demonstration, I will use (1) reading as an example for each step.
20
(1) Skimming the text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Read the title, the introduction, any headings and subheadings, and the
conclusion
Read the first sentence of each paragraph (the topic sentence)
Read the concluding sentence of each paragraph
Read the words highlighted in bold, italics, underlined, or emphasis
a. Look for any “counting” number (one, two…) or order (first, second)
Look at illustrations (pictures, diagrams, tables).
21
(1) Skimming the text – PRACTICE
Coulter, N. (2020). Child Studies meets Digital Media: Rethinking the Paradigms.
●
Read only the introductory paragraph, plus the headings and the topic
sentence of each paragraph.
●
Having skim read the text, you should now have an overview of the information
it contains.
To see if you have done so successfully, try to match the following statements
(next slide) to the pages/paragraphs in which they were mentioned.
22
(1) Skimming the text – PRACTICE
Coulter, N. (2020). Child Studies meets Digital Media: Rethinking the Paradigms.
●
●
●
●
History of Children as a Construction. Page: _
Childhood is not a singular universal phenomenon. Page: _
Children should be given a direct voice and participation in research studies.
Page: _
Research should avoid adult assumptions about children’s media (e.g. calling
children’s media bad or silly in an adult’s point of view). Page: _
Answer key: next slide.
23
(1) Skimming the text – ANSWER
Coulter, N. (2020). Child Studies meets Digital Media: Rethinking the Paradigms.
●
●
●
●
History of Children as a Construction. Page: 20
Childhood is not a singular universal phenomenon. Page: 23
Children should be given a direct voice and participation in research studies.
Page: 24-25
Research should avoid adult assumptions about children’s media (e.g. calling
children’s media bad or silly in an adult’s point of view). Page: 23-24
24
(2) Recalling your background knowledge
Coulter, N. (2020). Child Studies meets Digital Media: Rethinking the Paradigms.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What do I already know about this topic before reading?
What topics or issues do I think this text will address?
What do I want to learn from this text?
What is my purpose of reading this?
25
(2) Recalling your background knowledge – PRACTICE
Willett, R., & Richards, C. (2020). Methodological Issues in Researching Children
and Digital Media.
Imagine you haven’t read the text:
Write a list of knowledges, examples, authors, ideas you already learned about
this topic (with relevance to children and media studies) AND questions for each
of the headings.
Heading 1: The Interrelationship between Observation and Interviewing
(e.g. definition, pros, cons, authors, examples…)
Heading 2: Participatory Research Methods
(e.g. definition, pros, cons, authors, examples…)
26
Participatory Research
Methods
ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide.
The Interrelationship
between Observation and
Interviewing
ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide.
(3) Scanning for specific information
Scanning: letting your eyes move quickly through the text until you find what you
are looking for. As long as you know how the text is organized, this can be done
quickly and without reading every word. In digital-format texts, use the search
tool.
In academic texts, information is often grouped under headings, so to find a
specific detail, you need to first locate the appropriate heading. If there are no
headings, remember that the topic sentence of each paragraph is like a heading,
as it tells you what the paragraph is about.
In a paragraph, details can usually be found in the sentences that follow the topic
sentence so this is where you need to look. When you think you have found the
relevant section or paragraph, look for key words or figures.
29
(3) Scanning for specific information – PRACTICE
https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/building-bandwidth-preparing-indigenous-yout
h-for-a-digital-future/
Using the understandings you gained from skim reading, quickly scan the text to
answer the following questions.
1) How many % of households in Indigenous communities have access to
high-speed Internet?
2) Who are the Indigenous youth media producers mentioned in the text?
3) What are the % of Indigenous Peoples aged 24 to 35 having a
post-secondary education? What about non-Indigenous?
30
(4) In-depth reading to find the key points
Identify key ideas by highlighting important parts of the text by underlining or
using a highlighter tool
a.
b.
c.
Recommended: highlight only very few words and phrases in each
paragraph.
Not about capturing every detail but getting a general overview of the
key ideas.
What you highlight also depends on your purpose for reading. This is
different for everyone.
31
(4) In-depth reading to find the key points – PRACTICE
Ellis, K., Goggin, G., & Kent, M. (2020). Disability, Children, and the Invention of Digital
Media.
As your homework, underline or highlight the key points made in this text. If you find
new words, at this stage only look them up if they are essential to understand the overall
meaning of a sentence.
When you have finished, compare your highlighted text with mine (I will share my version
on Thursday).
32
(5) Making sense of texts containing difficult words
1.
2.
Make a list of keywords and difficult words & definitions, and keep adding to
this list as you keep reading throughout the term
a. These words may be in bold, italics, defined, or emphasized in the text
b. If there is a keyword you don’t understand, ask during Q&A on Thurs
Take note of the context in which a word is used: the words, sentences (how
would you use the word in a new sentence?) and examples that follow it.
33
There’s an App for that (15%) – Due March 23
●
●
●
Assignment sheet has been posted on Avenue.
I will upload examples from previous students in the following weeks.
(We will continue going over the assignment sheet on Thursday class)
34
Week 4 – Reading List (Jan 31 – Feb 2)
Coulter, N. (2020). Child Studies meets Digital Media: Rethinking the Paradigms. In L. Green, D.
Holloway, K. Stevenson, T. Leaver, and L. Haddon (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to
Digital Media and Children (pp.19-27). Routledge.
Willett, R., & Richards, C. (2020). Methodological Issues in Researching Children and Digital
Media. In The Routledge Companion to Digital Media and Children (pp.48-56). Routledge.
Ellis, K., Goggin, G., & Kent, M. (2020). Disability, Children, and the Invention of Digital Media.
In L. Green, D. Holloway, K. Stevenson, T. Leaver, and L. Haddon (Eds.), The Routledge
Companion to Digital Media and Children (pp.358-367). Routledge.
Schrumm, A., Bell, S., & Smith, T. (2021). Building Bandwidth: Preparing Indigenous youth for a
digital future.
35
Audience Q&A Session
ⓘ Start presenting to display the audience questions on this slide.