INTRODUCTION:

For this research essay, my topic is going to be on internet culture and how it relates to design. More specifically how negative engagement on the internet can relate to web design and why and how in recent years, this has become a growing issue for this current generation.  

BACKGROUND/REVIEW OF THE SOURCES:

In recent years, I’ve been noticing a gradual growth on platforms such as YouTube and Twitter where online discussions on any topic have gotten a lot worse to where people are spreading a lot of negativity at each other and why this should be a concern for future generations who are going to live their early years in a technologically advanced age. I want to explore why it is becoming a broader problem with today’s youth, the misusing of this technology, and how all of this incorporates the design of these social platforms and what can be done to stop, reduce, or lessen these problems. 

RATIONALE:

As we head further into the 21st century, the way people socialize and do basic things on a day to day basis has drastically changed throughout the decades mainly thanks to the internet and new technological advancements. In the past, whenever someone wanted to spread big news or gossip about something it would usually only retain within a certain group of people and barely would ever reach mainstream media like television or radio. There was once a time where people didn’t care about what occurred in the film/entertainment industry, but because we have social media and information on literally everyone, we are always getting unneeded controversy and news everyday and sometimes if not most, it’s all faked just to get clicks. I find this to be important to me because recently, I’ve found myself getting lost within YouTube comments and feeling the need to socialize with complete strangers on the internet on topics that really do not matter. So I want to research why people indulge in this gratification and get to the bottom of why, design wise, our modern culture has evolved in this way.

METHOD AND DESIGN:

Certain areas I want to tackle in this essay:

  • Introduction: Stating my topic and thesis and why it bothers me (what is internet culture and how does it relate to design?)
  • How social platforms and other certain websites are designed and what are their initial purpose
  • The supposed misuse of these certain platforms 
  • Misinformation, discourse, and toxicity and how these corporations profit off of this
  • Negative effects of social media and consequences that may come about in the future
  • Conclusion: How can we fix/improve the design and reduce the issues that internet culture currently faces

REFERENCES:

Works Cited

Allebach, Nathan. “A Brief History of Internet Culture and How Everything Became Absurd.” Medium, 9 March 2019, https://medium.com/swlh/a-brief-history-of-internet-culture-and-how-everything-became-absurd-6af862e71c94. Accessed 1 April 2024.

Harrison, Tina. “Fandoms in the Digital Age: How Online Communities Are Redefining Fan Culture.” Medium, 25 October 2023, https://medium.com/@poppulsenewsmag/fandoms-in-the-digital-age-how-online-communities-are-redefining-fan-culture-1b2ef0bd33ef. Accessed 1 April 2024.

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