Course Schedule

Veranstaltungen von Barbara Hof

Lehrveranstaltungen

History of Computing: The Early Internet and Rise of Social Media (Seminar)

Inhalt: How did the early Internet foster and enable the rise of social media? This seminar explores the technological and cultural foundations that shaped the development of digital networking and the evolution of online platforms from the 1970s to the 2000s - from the first military-funded computer networks to the Web 2.0 technology. The seminar places emphasis on bulletin board systems and the rise of computer games to understand the larger transformation of society and media use. Students will discuss how factors such as gender, access, and inequality shaped the making of online communities. Students will also critically discuss the environmental and societal costs of the Internet, including the high energy use of servers and the history of the digital divide. Through original research and collaborative projects, students will gain a deeper understanding of the intersection of the Internet, society, and media. They will put this in perspective with the history of personal computers on the one hand and artificial intelligence on the other, while learning how the Internet has shaped how people consume and create media, inform themselves about politics, and engage with friends.

Leuphana Bachelor - Major Digital Media - History and Epistemology of Digital Media