Resource Library
World Affairs Seminar 2019: The Promise & Perils of Social Media
Social media—its joys, sorrows, and everything in between—is here to stay as an integral part of our everyday lives. It impacts how we think, perceive, and communicate with others on a minute-by-minute basis—and helps shape the face we present to the world. We will address social media head on at the 2019 World Affairs Seminar, discussing ethical dilemmas, issues of privacy, transparency and identity, and the economic and political ramifications. Are we empowering people or fueling the flames of hatred, extremism, and spiraling mental health concerns? From Facebook to Instagram to Twitter, social media continues to evolve and we need to understand its promise and perils to fully harness a technology that can truly make the world a better place.
Opinion: Social Media is the Enemy
“Social media has coarsened public discourse, silenced conservative voices and lowered the quality of journalism. We must do something about it.”
Live Streaming a Lumpectomy
“Doctors perform breast cancer surgery live on Facebook”
Fitness App Privacy Issues
“How a Fitness Tracking App Exposed U.S. Military Secrets”
Facebook Under Scrutiny
“Alternatives to Facebook”
Nightmare on Facebook
“Facebook marks one-year anniversary of Cambridge Analytica scandal with ‘nightmare week’”
Antitrust Violations
“OPINION: The Case for Investigating Facebook”
Facebook & Democracy
“TEDTalk: Facebook’s role in Brexit – and the threat to democracy”
Does Social Media Connect us?
“Social media was supposed to ‘bring the world closer together.’ Instead it’s making us pettier”
Social Media & Political Campaigns
“Your phone and TV are tracking you, and political campaigns are listening in”
Digital Lies & War
“Opinion: The India-Pakistan Conflict Was a Parade of Lies”
Extreme Views
“The internet is readicalizing white men. Big Tech could be doing more”
Surveillance Capitalism
“The goal is to automate us: welcome to the age of surveillance capitalism”
China's Surveillance State
“How China Turned A City Into A Prison”
The Left Can't Meme
“How Right-Wing Groups Are Training the Next Generation of Social Media Warriors.”
Dystopian Future
The following two videos are featurettes from popular the popular television series Black Mirror and The Orville, satirically emphasizing a dystopian future in which citizens take part in a social rating system, similar to many social media platforms used today.
Note: The World Affairs Seminar does not claim to own rights to either video or television series.
Join the Conversation
Registered delegates of the 2019 World Affairs Seminar have a unique opportunity to connect on social media leading up to the seminar. Join the conversation today to get started.
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World Affairs Seminar is connected in more ways than ever. Follow along with us on Twitter as we prepare for the upcoming seminar. Follow us @WorldAffairsSem on Twitter.