Guidelines

Students should respond to the following questions, using their own words and writing in complete sentences. Each question should warrant at least a two sentence response. This week’s discussion board covers March 12 and March 17 classes.

!!!READING YOU NEED TO COMPLETE:

1.Cecco, “Toronto van attack suspect says he was ‘radicalized’ online by ‘incels’”https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/27/alek-minassian-toronto-van-attack-interview-incels

2.Robertson, “Should We Treat Incels as Terrorists?”

https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/5/20899388/incel-movement-blueprint-toronto-attack-confession-gender-terrorism

March 12

• What did you learn from the Cecco and Robinson articles about incels?
• How does incel culture relate to bias in technology?
• Do you think social media culture operates differently for men and women? Why or why not?
• Are incels terrorists? Why or why not?

!!!READING YOU NEED TO COMPLETE:

1.Hsu, “These Influencers Aren’t Flesh and Blood, Yet Millions Follow Them”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/business/media/miquela-virtual-influencer.html

2.Romano, “A group of YouTubers is trying to prove the site systematically demonetizes queer content”

https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/10/10/20893258/youtube-lgbtq-censorship-demonetization-nerd-city-algorithm-report

3.Harwell, “Dating apps need women. Advertisers need diversity. AI companies offer a solution: Fake people”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/01/07/dating-apps-need-women-advertisers-need-diversity-ai-companies-offer-solution-fake-people/

March 17

• What are three things that the articles for 3/17 have in common?
• Explore http://www.whichfaceisreal.com, testing at least five faces. How accurate were you? How does your experience with the website inform your understanding of the Harwell article?
• What connections do you see between the developments describes in Harwell’s article and other themes we have explored in class?
• Why was queer content being demonetized on YouTube, according to the Romano reading?
• Are virtual influencers a beneficial or detrimental development? Why or why not?
• Is there a way for advertisers to use virtual face and persona-generating technologies responsibly? How might that be?