Political Science: Media, Technology, and Society

This six-week summer course is aimed at students across all levels (college and high school) who are interested in learning about the latest research and developments on the rise and impacts of media technology and social media.

We will discuss the evolution of media systems and media effects in and between election campaigns, the growth of fake news and conspiracy theories, the rise of disinformation and foreign influence operations (FIO), cybersecurity and cyberwarfare, the importance of these issues for governments, and what you can do to protect yourself and others given the latest developments.We’ll also consider the challenges presented by quantum artificial generative intelligence (AGI) and compare regulation of digital actors in Europe and the U.S. We’ll discussdigital and social media impacts on individuals, organizations & societies, and future scenarios for media technology and democracy.

Students will be equipped to discuss:

• the challenges and opportunities presented by rapidly accelerating technologies
• how the European Union (EU) regulates digital data compared to the U.S.
• how media technology is used in political campaigning by candidates, parties, interest groups and non-state actors interfering in elections in other countries
• key terms such as disinformation, micro-targeting, cybersecurity, cyberwarfare, conspiracy theories, foreign influence operations, quantum AGI
• why these topics are important for governments and societies, intergovernmental organizations, small and medium size business (SME) and international corporations