COM 3337

Online Social Networks
- What is a “network” versus “networking”? Which one is required in order for the
other to be possible?
o Network: structure of connections between individuals or groups
o Networking: the produces of creating and maintaining these connections.
Required to build and expand a network
Not Too Much, Not Too Little
- Based on the results of the research study discussed here, how does the level of
intensity with which people use social networking sites relate to their social
connections oEline? (p. 110)
o The study found that moderate use of social networking is correlated with
stronger oEline social connections
o Extreme use, too much or too little, can have a detrimental eEect on these
connections
Networked Individualism
- What does “networked individualism” mean? If you had to draw a picture of the
concept, how would you describe it?
o Refers to the idea that individuals are at the center of their own networks with
personal connection extending across a variety of social contexts
o This can be represented as a personal in the middle with multiple lines
radiating out to various smaller networks or groups
- What new skills do we need in the new operating system that a networked society
represents? (p. 111)
o Digital literacy
o Adaptability
o Ability to manage and navigate multiple networks are essential in a
networked society
- How do the concepts of “egocentric” and “egoistic” relate to networked
individualism?
o Egocentric: individuals as the center of their own networks
o Egoistic: a more self-centered or self-serving orientation within those
networks

Fields of Togetherness
- At the end of this section, what is the textbook author’s main conclusion about
choosing the correct terminology?
o Terminology matters, but is it more important to focus on the underlying
concepts of how people interact within networks and communities
o The distinctions between networks and communities can be fluid, and
terminilogy should not overly restrict understanding
o
Digital Media & Society, Chapter 6: Visuality and
Visibility
The Visual Turn:
- 3 social purposes of selfies
1. Identity exploration: selfies allow people to explore various identities
through diEerent expressions, setting and contexts
2. Self-empowerment: by controlling how one presents themselves, selfies
and enable individuals to project a self-image that aligns with their
desired identity
3. Enforcing or resisting social norms: selfies can both reinforce and
challenge societal expectations, such as beauty standards or gender
roams (ex: Frida Kahlo in her self-portrait resisting beauty trends)
- Approximate dates (within the decade) of the four self-portraits/selfies on slide 2,
and the women’s names
o Jan Van Eyck (1433) – first painted self-portrait (Dutch, male)
o Robert Cornelius (1839) – first photographic self-portration (American, male)
o Frida Kahlo (1940) – self-portrait (Mexican, female)
o Serena Willians (2018) – selfie at meghan Markle’s royal wedding (American,
female)
- Causes or reasons leading to postmodernity
o Technological advancements, democratized content creation and
consumption
o The increasing fragmentation of reality and skepticism about universal truths
- Characteristics of selfies

o Shared on social media
o Typically more spontaneous and casual but can be staged
o Often take by everyday people rather than professionals
o Aimed at seeking aEirmation or feedback from others
- Cultural attitudes during postmodernity
o Emphasis on individuals and self-expression
o Increased skeptics toward grand narratives or absolute truths, focusing
instead on subjective experiences and realities
- How do we communicate within mediaspheres?
o Visual, textual, and symbolic representations, like memes, emojis, videos
and selfies and other digital content
o Transience traditional communication boundaries which enables new
methods of interaction and identity construction
- How our brains retain information from images vs. text (this is towards the beginning
of the Part 1 video)
o Visual information is often processed more quickly and remembered
o Images can evoke emotional responses and are easier for the brain to
process in a short amount of time
- The key mechanisms of postmodernity
o Blending of reality with representations
o the collapse of traditional hierarchies in media
o democratization of content creation and distribution
- The overall point/purpose of the “technological journey” (Part 1 video)
o To highlight the shift in how media has envolved from traditonal forms to
digital, interactive, and highly personalized forms and reshaping how we
communicate and engage with culture
- When did society’s interest with visual culture begin vs. when did it “explode”? (p.
116)
o Began with the rise of photography and cinema
o Exploded in the late 20 th century with the advent of the internet and social
media platforms, leading to a highly visual culture
Selfies: (textbook and video)
- See Video “Selfies” and PPT slides 11-15; the video also provides additional material
not covered by the textbook
- What 3 reasons contributed to the popularity of selfies?
1. Technological advancements (smartphones, front camera)
2. The rise of social media platforms- enable easy sharing of images

3. Culture shifts – prioritize self-expression and personal branding
- What four elements make up a selfie? (p. 119)
1. The photo itself
2. Person taking the photo
3. The medium used to share (social media)
4. Context in which it is shared (specific audience)
- What are the characteristics of selfies? (see PPT)
o Spontaneity: unplanned and casual
o Casual presentation: they don’t have to be highly stylized and often authentic
o Interactivity: feedback from audience, leading to social interaction
- What relationships are initiated by selfies?
o Social bonds – create connections and dialogue
o Public/private relationships – blue the boundaries between public and
private spheres especially in the digital age
- What is media panic and when does it happen?
o When certain types of media content, viral or controversial, lead to societal
fear or concern often exaggerated by the media
- How does Judith Butler define identity? (p. 123)
o Argues that identity is performative – it is not something inherent but is
constructures through repeated actions and expressions seen in selfies and
social media presentations
Videos of ABinity: (textbook)
- What is the purpose/point of videos of aEinity?
o To create connections and bonds through shared visual experiences,
emotions, or cultural references
o Function to communicate identity and solidarity
- What are some old-fashioned examples comparable to videos of aEinity?
o Family home videos, personal letters, or communal rituals that
communicate shared experiences and emotions, similar to how videos of
aEinity function digital today
- Are videos of aEinity restricted to being digital?
o No, although they are predominantly digital today, videos can exist in non-
digital forms (physical home movies or recorded personal messages)

Emojis: (textbook)
- What political aspects of emojis are discussed?
o Emojis can reflect reinforce social and political power dynamics
o Including issues related to race, gender, and representation
o Lack of diversity in skin tones, push for inclusivity
- What do emojis and emoticons have in common, and what diEerentiates them?
o Common: forms of visual communications that convey emotions
o DiEerences: emoticons use keyboard characters while emojis are graphic
Memes, Gifs, and Beyond: (PPT)
- See PPT slides 17-20 for the six speech events and six functions of language;
consider the optional video if you wish for additional clarification
- The 6 functions of language, what each means, and examples for each
1. Referential: conveying information ( meme for current event)
2. Expressive: showing emotion ( reaction GIF)
3. Directive: asking for action (meme encouraging people to vote)
4. Metalinguistic: clarifying or explaining language (meme explain a
concept)
5. Phatic: establishing or maintain social contact (“hello” emoji)
6. Poetic: emphasizing aesthetic qualities of language (creative memes)
- The 6 speech events, what each means, and examples for each
1. Expression: sharing personal feelings (GiF of someone laughing)
2. Request: asking for something (meme asking followers to donate)
3. Command: giving instructions (meme that directs people to vote)
4. Storytelling: relating events (meme about a funny personal experience)
5. Statement: providing information (educational meme about history)
6. Joke: humorous commentary (meme making fun of a current trend)
Spotlight - Voting Technology
• Definition of e-voting
o Process of casting a vote electronically, where it is stored and counted in a
digital format
• Countries using e-voting
o Estonia

o Russia
o Turkey
o Norway
o mexico
• Why is Estonia noteworthy when it comes to e-voting? What recent percentage
number is memorably for the country?
o Estonia is a leader in e-vtoing, being one of the first countries to implement
the system
o By 2023, 51% of its votes are cast electronically
• Why is Albania noteworthy when it comes to e-voting?
o Implemented biometric voter authentication sharting in 2021
o Aims to improve the security and accuracy of elections, although it raises
privacy concerns regarding fingerprint
• Accessibility issues – how does and doesn’t e-voting resolve those
o Greater access: people with disabilities, remote residents and those with
time constraints who can vote from home
o Exclude certain groups: digital divide for those who can not aEord the
technology required
• What role does connectivity play in e-voting in South Africa?
o Poor connectivity can undermine systems such as biometric voter
authentication, leading to potential issues like double voting
o Reliable internet and connectivity are essential for smooth e-voting
processes and regions with less access may face challenges
• Why should we have an old-fashioned back-up, and what is this back-up, according
to the South Africa video?
o Paper ballots or a paper trail
o Ensure that in case of technology failures, there are tangible records and can
recount and verify votes
• What is the SAVE Act about?
o SAVE (safeguard American voter eligibility act) is proposed legislation aimed
at requiring proof of citizenship during voter registration to prevent non-
citizens from voting
o Seems to update voter registration databases, some argue it could
marginalize already vulnerable groups by reducing voter registration
opportunities
• What is happening to Florida voting machines in 2024?
o Florida voting machines are outdated – some being over 10 years old
o Florida will not be adopting new technology, instead focus on updating
existing systems

o
• What does the 10-year mark tell us about voting machines in Florida and nation-
wide?
o They are outdated and can lead to security risks
o 30 states are using outdated and 12 states are using systems no longer
supported or updated
o Hard to ensure that machines are secure and working correctly
• What happened in New Hampshire? Imagine telling the story to someone so you
can recognize diEerent components.
o Cybersecurity firm hired to update voting technology software accidentally
outsources work to an overseas subcontractor which caused misconfigured
software like connecting to a server in Russia
o Software intended to secure voting actually became a security threat itself
• How might claims about the 2020 elections aEect reactions to 2024 election
outcomes? Is this limited to the supporters of a specific party, according to the
letter referred to in the lecture?
o Fraudulent outcomes – continue to field doubts about the legitimacy of the
2024 election
o Letter from concerned citizens suggested that election deniers from both
parties might seize on perceived flaws in the system
o Suggested breaches of 2020 made future elections vulnerable
• Three reasons why open-source software might fix the problem
1. Transparency: open-source software allows anymore to scrutinize the
code
2. Accountability: knowing that the code can be reviewed by others
incentivizes developers to produce high quality work
3. Security: keeping software hidden, creates an inviting target for hackers
• What can we conclude about voter fraud based on actual research? (some broad,
overall conclusions, not specific numbers or cases)
o Voter fraud is very rare
• What election-related changes were made in Arizona since the 2020 elections?
o Ballot printers
o Physical security
o Voting machines will be disconnected from the internet
o Mail-in ballots will be processed earlier
o Automatic recount raised from .1% to .5%
• Examples of security measures and new services related to elections in Leon
County
o Backups of election databases
o System is tested before and after each election

o New mail-in ballot tracking
Digital Media & Society, Chapter 7: Emotions and
ABect
Study Guide
Chapter 7 uses a number of terms that are similar. Make sure that you can distinguish
between these terms so when their definitions are being tested, you don’t get confused.
Exam wording will stay close to book wording.
- Cluster 1:
o AEect (slide 3)
§ Refers to the raw pre-conscious feeling state that underlines
emotions, often seen as more basic than emotions and can be
positive or negative
o Emotions (slide 3)
§ Structured, culturally shaped expressions of aEect that are given
meaning through social interaction
- Cluster 2:
o Cyberbullying (p. 143, first part of third paragraph; definition, not the same as
the characteristics)
§ Involved repreated, intential acts of aggression confucted via divital
communication technologies typically targeting someone who cant
defend themselfs
o Flame (slide 7)
§ Online message intended to be hostile, aggressive, or insulting
o Flame war (slide 7)
§ Occurs when multiple people engage in hostile exchanges, escalating
the conflict over time
o Trolling (slide 8)
§ Refers to deliberately posting inflammatory, oE-topic, or disruptive
messages online with the intent of provoking emotional responses
o Note – the author does not provide a clear definition for “hate speech,” so I’m
not asking you to know a definition of that term

Chapter 7 also make some definite statements about things that intuitively, you may not
expect to be that way, or you may have experienced diEerently. For these concepts, we will
leave ourselves aside and stick to what the author says (as his opinion, not as “truth”). Be
sure to review the PPT, video lecture, and chapter.
- AEective attachment is our motivation for what? (slide 4)
o For engagement with online communities, driving participation in digital
culture
- Are lulz good or bad from a moral viewpoint? (slide 9)
o Morally ambiguous- they can be either harmless run of deeply harmful
depending on context
- Definition of “the grab” (slide 5)
o Refers to the way digital content captures and holds users’s attention,
creating an emotional pull
- The perspective or evaluation of the author with regard to dataveillance
(pos/neg/neut) (slide 6)
o Author presents a negative evaluation of dataveillance, seeing it as a form of
control and exploitation of digital emotions
- What is the “only reason” for trolling? (slide 9)
o Provocation- trolls seek reactions rather than meaningful enagement
- What is the relationship between trolling and politics, domestically and
internationally? (slide 9)
o Trolling plays a role in political discourse, influencing debates even being
used for propaganda and disinformation campaigns
- What qualities/roles do memes have? (read the paragraphs NOT in the inserts on p.
137, which act as summary for that section and generalize to all types of online
forms of emotional expression, including memes)
o Emotional expression
o Cultural commentary
o Political discourse
- What real-life qualities do trolls have, and how do you become a troll? (slide 8)
o Often ordinary individuals who adopt trolling behaviors in certain online
contexts
o People become trolls through participation in trolling culture, learned by
others
- When something is considered a flame (slide 7)
o When it is hostile, aggressive or intended to provoke a fight
- Which online behavior becomes “a threat to democracy”? (slide 9)
o Trolling and disinformation campaigns because it causes trust in information

Here are some list-type concepts. List-type concepts are prime candidates for questions
that ask which concept either was or was not a component of a list.
- 2 contexts in which anonymity plays an important role (slide 7)
1. Protection of free speech
2. Encouraging disinhibition (can lead to positive and negative behaviors
- 3 characteristics of cyberbullying (slide 7)
1. Repetitiveness
2. Intentional harm
3. Power imbalance
- 4 key elements of emotions (slide 3)
1. Physiological arousal
2. Expressive behavior
3. Cognitive appraisal
4. Social construction
Here are some other terms and concepts to know:
- Based on the information in the Love Online insert, can we have intimate, intense,
trusting relationships online? How does that compare to oEline? (lecture associated
with slide 6)
o Yes but they are often diEerent from oEline relationships- trust is built
through communication
- Come up with some examples for the type of online data that would be useful for
the use with algorithms (slide 6)
o Social media posts
o Likes
o Posts
o Shares
o Browsing history
o Facial expressions
- How much importance does the author place on intensity of emotions, based on
the overall chapter? (Start by looking at the headings, it should be pretty obvious
from that.)
o Emotional intensity – emphasizes how emotions shape digital interactions
- In networks, “emotions of varying intensity” are created through, what? (slide 4)
o Interaction
o Feedback loops
o Viral content
- In what kind of contexts can aEective gestures take place? (slide 10)
o Social media
o Gaming