Programma

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the critical analysis of the web and its main tools in the international scenario. Digital media are increasingly active and passive players in the political, cultural and socio-economic forces of vast areas of the world. Knowing how they work, the logic of software and algorithms, as well as those of their owners and designers, has become fundamental to being able to exercise one's rights, manage one's identity and engage effectively into any work context. Each tool possesses, as Harold Innis said, a "bias," a "tendency," or even its own inherent limitation or "prejudice." Digital media are not the utopia (of access, of democratization, of freedom) often portrayed by mainstream media, but a global battleground where the geopolitical balances of both individual states and entire regions are being played out. Knowing and analyzing such balances and investigating their cultural and technological models is one of the primary objectives of this course. But it is also important to learn about alternative realities, and that is why experiences, projects and proposals for innovative, democratic and socially responsible use of new media will be illustrated.

Testi Adottati

Slides, handouts and other materials will be made available online during the course. Knowledge of these two texts, on which the written test will be partially based, is required:

1) Edward Snowden, Errore di sistema. Milano, Longanesi, 2019.
2) Antonio Deruda, Geopolitica digitale. La competizione globale per il controllo della rete, Roma, Carocci, 2024.

Bibliografia Di Riferimento

Some of these texts are available in English. For more information please contact the instructor: 1) Shoshana Zuboff (2019), Il capitalismo della sorveglianza. Il futuro dell'umanità nell'era dei nuovi poteri, Roma, LUISS. 2) Gabriele Balbi e Paolo Magaudda (2014), Storia dei media digitali. Rivoluzioni e continuità. Roma-Bari, Laterza. 3) Sergio Bellucci (2019), L'industria dei sensi. Roma, Harpo. 4) Teresa Numerico (2021), Big data e algoritmi. Prospettive critiche. Roma, Carocci. 5) Geert Lovink (2016), Ossessioni collettive. Critica dei social media, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore. 6) Sergio Bellucci (2019), L'industria dei sensi, Roma, Harpo. 7) Ippolita, (2018), Il lato oscuro di Google. L'informatica del dominio, Milano, Milieu.

Modalità Frequenza

The practical approach of this course makes attendence highly recommended.

Modalità Valutazione

Students who have attended at least 70 percent of the lectures, carried out the written reading responses and the final project are allowed to take the written test based on a questionnaire of three open-ended questions. The final grade will take into account all the activities carried out during the course. The in-course exercises will consist of: 1) Individual comments to the readings on the group or online list; 2) Hands-on lab exercises; 3) Group research on topic to be assigned mid-course. Each exercise will be assigned a grade that will average with the final grade on the questionnaire. For example: exercise 1: 28; ex. 2: 25; ex. 3: 30; final questionnaire 27. Final grade: 27.5 Non-attending students will be graded on the written questionnaire and an oral interview on selected texts (see Texts section).