Course Description
In this course, students will gain an understanding of how digital media platforms influence the formation of cultural identity and affect social relationships and interactions within society. Students will learn the tangible impact of these influences on daily life and perspectives on the future.
This course aims to foster positive media usage by developing students’ critical thinking and analysis skills regarding media content in various forms and platforms. Emphasis will be placed on understanding and analyzing the interactive relationship between digital media developments, in particular, and societal culture and identity.
This course meets the requirement of raising students' awareness of the effects of digital media in shaping their cultural identity, relationships and interactions with society. Through analyzing media messages—including the information, values, and implicit or explicit meanings they convey—, and distinguishing their positive and negative connotations and dimensions, the course provides students with the ability to practice conscious critical thinking to understand and interpret how the media influences society. Additionally, the course teaches students how media affects human capital sustainability and equips individuals to navigate the impact of technological advancements on their cultural skills and interactions in an interconnected world.
Course topics include analyzing media messages in context, understanding how media conveys specific ideas and meanings, recognizing media message orientations through expressive symbols, and distinguishing between facts and opinions in media content. Students will also develop the skills to identify accurate news versus misinformation or disinformation.