'War in 140 Characters' Is to the Point
David Patrikarakos has written an engaging narrative that covers the activities and surroundings of eight 21st century social media crusaders.
17 Sep 2018
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Social Media and Identity Formation in Bo Burnham’s Film, 'Eighth Grade'
Rather than moralize, critique, or make grandiose statements about "digital natives", writer-director-wunderkind Bo Burnham brilliantly visualizes what it means to live in a world in which social media is omnipresent.
07 Aug 2018
How Does Taylor Swift's 'Reputation' Fit in with The Current Political Climate?
Like an alchemist, Taylor Swift turns stray thoughts and abject emotions into global cultural touchstones—and into piles and piles of cold, hard cash. What do her fans get out of it?
02 Aug 2018
'Eighth Grade' and the Act of Disappearing in Plain Sight, Online
Bo Burnham's big-hearted, emotional tidal wave of a movie shows how the look-at-me / leave-me-alone contradictions of adolescence, powered by social media, are cranked up to 11.
20 Jul 2018
Video-idiocy? No, 'Videocracy' Celebrates the Bright Side of YouTube Indulgence
Against the constant distaste for and dismay about social media, Videocracy gives readers a series of anecdotes that connect YouTube to the goodness of being human.
17 Jul 2018
Propoganda Isn't About Trying to Fool You
Lee McIntyre's 'Post-Truth' is a history lesson and a call to action asking liberals to defend the concept of objective truth. But is it the best approach to the problem?
09 Jul 2018
A Cappella Punk: What's Happening to Alternative Comedy in the US?
The DIY strategies and indie allegiances of recent alternative comedians reveal the spirit of punk to be alive and kicking beyond the music world.
26 Jun 2018
Tribeca 2018: 'Netizens' and 'Every Act of Life'
These important documentaries about online abuse and the works of Terrence McNally attempt to illuminate empathy and social awareness at a time when it is being woefully ignored.
26 Apr 2018
Is Life in a 'Post-Truth' World Sustainable?
How do we overcome the human tendency to resist verifiable reality? Lee McIntyre takes this on in this installment of MIT's Essential Knowledge series.
20 Mar 2018
True/False Film Fest: 'Our New President'
The next film from Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer director Maxim Pozdorovkin treats us to Russian propaganda about the United States.
02 Mar 2018
Why Aren't Safe Spaces and Brave Spaces Working in Academia?
University campuses are seething. But telling people to get along with each other is not the answer.
19 Jan 2018
'Glory' Is a Searing Indictment of Social Media Optics Fixation
Anchored by an unflinching cinéma vérité style and a powerful lead performance by Margita Gosheva, Glory (Slava) thrives as a grave parable on the social media economy's corrupting influences against ethics and morality.
15 Jan 2018
Are You Paying Attention? 'The Distracted Mind'
Multi-tasking on your smart phone consumes too many resources, including memory, and can cause the system to "choke". Imagine what it does to your brain.
11 Dec 2017
Google's Burger Emoji: Why Can't We All Just Get Along?
To those who would deny the Google burger because it's messy, I say, get a napkin and get over it.
13 Nov 2017
A 21st-century Muckraker Pierces the Heart of the Internet in 'Reading the Comments'
If Eggers' The Circle gave us a glance at the inimical nature of social media via Orwell’s idea of “groupthink”, then Reagle takes us even deeper into why we love to comment on anything and everything.
18 Oct 2016
The Gospel According to Ricky Gervais (in 140 Characters or Less)
One of today's most accomplished and revered comedic minds has jettisoned himself onto the frontlines of the culture wars where he wittily battles on behalf of humanism, reason, and secularism.
06 Jan 2016
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