Assignment:Read JiaTolentinos The I in the Internet (2019) and write a thesis-driven essay thatdevelops a point of view on an issue discussed in the text. Integrate ideasfrom 1-2 additional texts from the list found in Course Content on Blackboard.
In yourpaper, you need to make clear to the reader what the issue is (i.e., defineit) and then use the paper to develop your point of view (i.e., your thesis).She covers a lot of ground in her chapter, so there are many possible issuesfrom which to choose. Also, in addition to Tolentinos chapter, what wevepreviously read for the class, and your own experiences, new texts areavailable in Course Content that can help you figure out the topic and focusfor your essay.
Draft 1should be at least 600 words. Follow MLA guidelines for formatting the essay,integrating and citing sources, and constructing a Works Cited page. The first draftis due by 11:59 PM on Friday, January 29. Submit your draft to the Turnitin space that will be made available next week.
———-
Here is anincomplete list of possible topics and texts to consider reading for thisassignment based on your interest. Feel free to roam around in what you read,and notice, too, that there is overlapthat is, some articles might be used inpapers that are focused on different technology issues. There are also somegeneral questions which are meant to get you thinking about ways in which eachtopic is an issue:
Surveillanceand Privacy: What technologyis used to watch people? How is it used? What happens to data? Why does thismatter?
–YourApps Know Where You Were Last Night. And Theyre Not Keeping It Secret, by
JenniferValentino-DeVries, Natasha Singer, Michael H. Keller, and Aaron Krolik.
–PreservationActs: Toward and ethical archive of the web, by Nora Caplan-Bricker.
–WhatHappens When Facebook Goes the Way of MySpace? by John Herrman.
–FacialRecognition is Accurate, if Youre a White Guy, by Steve Lohr.
–“ComingSoon to a Police Station Near You: The DNA Magic Box, by Heather Murphy.
Identityor Identification/Misidentification:How is identity defined or created by technology? How is technology used toidentify people? What is a problem–bias? Fairness? Why does this matter?
–FacialRecognition is Accurate, if Youre a White Guy, by Steve Lohr.
–TEDTalk: How Im fighting bias in algorithms, by Joy Buolamwini (video) and herarticle
Whenthe Robot Doesnt See Dark Skin.
–Thereis a Racial Divide in Speech-Recognition Systems, Researchers Say, by CadeMetz.
–“ComingSoon to a Police Station Near You: The DNA Magic Box, by Heather Murphy.
–WrongfullyAccused by an Algorithm, by Kashmir Hill.
Control(autonomy, freedom, choice):What does it mean to be free or have a choice in an increasingly tech-filledworld? What are the consequences of too much or too little tech in a personslife? Why does this matter?
–LifeWithout Principle, by Henry David Thoreau.
–Deathof an Innocent: How Chris McCandless lost his way in the wilds, by JonKrakauer.
–YourApps Know Where You Were Last Night. And Theyre Not Keeping It Secret, by
JenniferValentino-DeVries, Natasha Singer, Michael H. Keller, and Aaron Krolik.
–PreservationActs: Toward and ethical archive of the web, by Nora Caplan-Bricker.
–Do NotDisturb: How I Ditched My Phone and Unbroke My Brain, by Kevin Roose.
–RidingOut the Quarantine With a Chatbot Friend: I Feel Very Connected, by CadeMetz.
TheFuture: In whatway is technology giving shape to the future? What are possible ways to getready or prevent harm from occurring? Why does this matter?
–MeetZora, the Robot Caregiver, by Adam Satariano, Elain Peltier, and DmitryKostyukov
–Do YouTake This Robot by Alex Williams.
–HarrisonBergeron (1961), by Kurt Vonnegutthis is a short story (fiction) set in theyear
2081.
–MakingBabies in 2045, by Jamie Metzl.
–“TheFuture According to Grimes, by Ezra Marcus.
–DesignFor the Future When the Future Is Bleak, by Nikil Saval.
