Week 11: Tue 10.29/Thu 10.31

Week 11: Tue 10.29/Thu 10.31
Read: SHAMED—4. God That was Awesome – 6. Doing Something Good; eR—“The 100 Best Infographics” (Creative Bloq), “10 Tips for Designing Better Infographics” (DotDash), “12 Warning Signs that Your Infographic Sucks” (Visme)
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Upcoming:

Week 12: Tue 11.5/Thu 11.7

Read: SHAMED—7. Journey to a Shame-Free Paradise – 15. Your Speed

Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Due: REFLECTION 5

Week 13: Tue 11.12/Thu 11.14

Class: Multimedia presentations

Due: INFOGRAPHIC (DRAFT 1; BRING 1 HARD COPY OR AN ELECTRONIC VERSION)

Week 14: Tue11.19/Thu 11.21

Class: Multimedia presentations

Due: INFOGRAPHIC (FINAL DRAFT; EMAIL TO DHDELAO@GMAIL.COM BY 5 P.M.)

Week 15: Tue11.26/Thu 11.28 (NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING)

Class: Multimedia presentations; Lecture—"Memes Rule the Internet: Share If You Agree”

Week 16: Tue 12.3/Thu 12.5 (LAST REGULAR CLASS MEETING)

Class: Course wrap-up

Due: MEME (FINAL DRAFT; EMAIL TO DHDELAO@GMAIL.COM BY 5 P.M.)

Final Exam Meeting Times:

Sec. 6- 

Week 17: THU 12.12  

Time: 7:15 – 9:00 a.m., Location: TBA

Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)

Sec. 16- 

Week 18: MON 12.16

Time: 7:15 – 9:00 a.m., Location: TBA

Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)

 

Social Media News 10.23

• #WeLoveYouMeghan: The Duchess of Sussex sees online groundswell of support after showing signs of distress (Glamour)
• MLB umpire on Twitter: “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020.” (Slate)
• Mark Zuckerberg gets grilled in Congress (CNN)
• Kik is revived at the 11th hour (Axios)
• Miley Cyrus and her nipples challenge Instagram (Cosmopolitan)

Week 10: Tue 10.22/Thu 10.24

Week 10: Tue 10.22/Thu 10.24
Read: SHAMED—1. Braveheart – 3. The Wilderness
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4

Upcoming:

Week 11: TUE 10.29/THU 10.31
Read: SHAMED—4. God That was Awesome – 6. Doing Something Good; eR—“The 100 Best Infographics” (Creative Bloq), “10 Tips for Designing Better Infographics” (DotDash), “12 Warning Signs that Your Infographic Sucks” (Visme)
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Writers workshop

Social Media News 10.16

• Donald Trump's attempt to Twitter shame Nancy Pelosi backfires (MarketWatch)
• Actress Gina Rodriguez under fire for use on the N-word (Yahoo! News)
• Dark Web child abuse sting nabs hundreds (BBC News)
• Is Facebook locking out users who report fake accounts and scammers? (Mashable)
• Jennifer Aniston's Instagram debut actually broke it (CNN)

 

Reflection 4: Deplorable—Combatting White Suprememcy on Social Media

Post-911, our country's national security apparatus has focused almost exclusively on foreign-based terror threats. However, in 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it had been "galvanized ... to expand its counterterrorism mission focus beyond terrorists operating aboard." The domestic threat most concerning to DHS is white supremacy—the belief that Caucasians are racially superior and, therefore, should dominate society. Buoyed by a perceived ally in the White House, a loose configuration of, often violent, groups (including Neo-Nazis, white nationalists, incels, the KKK, MGTOWs, and others) have coalesced under the umbrella of the Alt-Right. Recently, these groups have also aggressively expanded via social media, which they have utilized to recruit mostly young, white males. In fact, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Discord, and other platforms have all struggled to contain racist, homophobic, and misogynistic content. Meanwhile, other sites, like 8chan and Gab, have openly embraced the Alt-Right’s racist ideology. Like Jihadists before them, today's white supremacists understand the power of these platforms to lure unsuspecting and vulnerable users to their cause. But what can be done? Is it possible to close social media as an avenue for hateful ideology? And how should children, particularly boys, be protected?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "How Gab Became a Haven for the Alt-Right" (Rolling Stone)
• "The Problem Isn't 8chan. It's Americans." (Buzzfeed)
• "White Supremacists are Trying to Recruit American Teens Through Video Games" (Vox)
• "How One Mom Talks to Her Sons About Hate on the Internet" (NPR)
• "To Protect and Slur" (Reveal News)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Approximately 500 words
• Works cited page

Due: Thu 10.24

Week 9: Tue 10.15/Thu 10.17

Week 9: Tue 10.15/Thu 10.17
Read: AMERICAN—Chapter Four: 16 - Conclusion
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: EXPOSITORY (MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH ANNOTATIONS)

Upcoming:

Week 10: Tue 10.22/Thu 10.24
Read: SHAMED—1. Braveheart – 3. The Wilderness
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4 

Expository Essay: Girls and Social Media

Nancy Jo Sales' American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers is a harrowing look into the social media landscape teenagers must navigate. Just like previous generations of Americans, today's young girls must contend with challenges ranging from peer pressure to self-esteem. Unlike previous generations of Americans, today's young girls must also contend with an increasingly sexualized and aggressive online culture. American teenage girls today are routinely encouraged to feel shame about their bodies, sexually exploit themselves, and even bully one another. In short, social media culture is openly hostile to young women. But what can be done to help them? What should teenage girls know about the dangers of social media?

In a concise expository essay, identify three distinct steps teenage girls can take to not only protect themselves from the harms of social media, but to empower themselves to become discerning users. Cite exclusively from American Girls to support your thesis.

Mechanics:

• 2-2.5 pages in length
• MLA Style
• Annotations*
• Works cited

*This essay must be annotated. Follow these guidelines: 1. Underline your thesis 2. In the right margins, explain what each paragraph is about in no more than four words 3. For each body paragraph, underline your best evidence 4. After your conclusion, briefly explain your process for this essay (in no more than 5-6 sentences)


Due:  Tue 10.22
 

Social Media News 10.8

• Woman claims potential employer shamed her over her social media photo (TheHill) 
• Iran's "Zombie Angelina" arrested for blasphemy (CNN)
• Senate report: Russia interfered with 2016 election specifically to help elect Trump (Politico)
• California goes after deepfakes (Engadget)
• How a pro-Hong Kong tweet rocked the Houston Rockets (CNN)

 

Week 8: Tue 10.8/Thu 10.10

Week 8: Tue 10.8/Thu 10.10
Read: AMERICAN—Chapter Two: 14 - Chapter Three: 15
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations

Upcoming:

Week 9: Tue 10.15/Thu 10.17
Read: AMERICAN—Chapter Four: 16 - Conclusion
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: EXPOSITORY (MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH ANNOTATIONS)

Social Media News 10.2

• Meet the famous teens of TikTok (Vox) 
• Mark Zuckerberg is afraid of an Elizabeth Warren presidency (CBS News)
• Social media use by the generations (weforums)
• The science says quitting Facebook makes you less depressed (DigitalTrends)
• Teen cyberbullied on Snapchat kills himself (WCVB-TV)