Can media save the world? Can new media be used to discuss, analyze, and solve problems in our society? This course explores how people become empowered by using new forms of media to create social change. It investigates how people use media to explore multiple dimensions of a problem or issue; increase public awareness about social problems; and strengthen emotional ties to other people and places. It will analyze how or whether new media provide the technological, cultural, and social affordances that promote a robust democracy. The course analyzes a range of cultures and types of media including fan media, memes, games, mobile devices, YouTube videos, Reddit posts, and social network sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter to investigate how new media influence civic participation. We will examine historical and contemporary case studies in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America to understand how media challenge fundamental concepts of citizenship and community. At the same time, the course will also analyze limitations and problems that have been exhibited in new media, and discuss whether changes in design, execution, or improvements in digital literacies may address these limitations.

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