In class essay instructions:

Essays are pieces of writing that are subjective attempts of making sense of something. In this case, you will be making sense of an aspect of our contemporary lived experience – as you address the question: “How has living in a networked society changed the human experience?” Consider how we have created technology but as it matures how it creates us.

You may give an overview but should at some point concentrate on a certain aspects of being human and how digital tech has changed us such as: growing up, friendship, education, democracy, being alone, disabilities, intelligence, artistic production, work, gaming, free will, individualism, trust, experience, fragmentation, stress, time, access, etc. consider the positives, negatives and how it changes us.

You will be primarily be drawing from two main primary sources:

  • your own “five hours untethered from networked society” field notes, and your may reference those of your classmates
  • the interviews you conducted and coded

You may also reference secondary sources such as the Turkle and Weise articles, aspects of transhuminism, concepts concerning “information” or systems thinking etc.

Begin by giving the essay a context and letting the audience know what the premise of the essay is and that you will be drawing primarily but not exclusively on primary sources such as interviews and observations.

Your essay must have one thesis or main idea that you are arguing. The key words should help inform an aspect of your thesis.

Specs:

The essay should be around 1,500 hundred words (3 single spaced pages). Please reference your sources within the text. Name, date, class, title should be in the heading. You have 2-2.5 hours to write.

Please turn in your essays here

Homework

A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace by John Perry Barlow John Perry Barlow wrote this Cyberspace manifesto in 1996. What does it say and almost 30 years later. Reflect on whether his points are still tenable. Consider fake news, cyber crime, echo chambers, etc. Where do his arguments fall short and where do they still  ring true? We’ll discuss in class.