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Transformations of Social and Political Realities through Smartphones

Module description

Smartphones have truly changed the ways people look at themselves and at the world, and how the world looks at them; how they interact with each other as well as with governing institutions, service providers and businesses. They have changed the way politicians interact with their constituencies as well as how citizens organise themselves in political struggles. In this module we will look at some of the different ways in which smartphones transform political and social realities, and how these changes a situated within wider trends in digitalisation processes. ‘You do not need any prior knowledge or skills to take this module, apart from the ability and willingness to critically evaluate the way smartphones are transforming our lives and societies and to work constructively with another student in a small team when producing a podcast. This module is suitable for non-specialist students and is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways.

Module aims - intentions of the module

Smartphones are a cross-cutting issue that requires knowledge and input from a variety of literatures. This module will equip you with the latest knowledge on how smartphones transform our social and political realities. You will learn about how smartphones transform the ways different political actors mobilise and relate to their constituencies; how they embolden populism and polarisation; to which degree they limit your privacy; how they change the way we interact with one another,; how they affect self-esteem, and how they create addictive behaviour. A good understanding of these issues is critical for a smart usage of smartphones. We will look at these issues first by looking at some key theoretical concepts as well as applying the latter to a range of case studies. You will also acquire key transferable skills through working in a small team and regularly engage in group discussions. With its applied focus, the module will also provide you with an opportunity to get involved in debates surrounding smartphones by means of creating a podcast.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Show an understanding of how smartphones transform our lives and societies
• 2. Understand and situate political debates on the use of smartphones within wider academic research on transformations brought about by digitalisation processes
• 3. Critically reflect on the usage of your smartphone

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Deploy theoretical arguments and apply them to empirical case studies
• 5. Construct rigorous arguments

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Critically evaluate ideas, debates and practices
• 7. Work independently and in collaboration with peers
• 8. Develop and demonstrate skills required to present information, analysis, and critical thinking through a podcast

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics.

• The impact of smartphones on society and democracy
• Self-representation in the digital sphere
• How social media transform politics,
• How social media increase polarisation,
• Surveillance and privacy,
• Fear of missing out, smartphone addiction
• Self-esteem, body image and sleep deprivation.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Fullwood, C. (2019) Impression Management and Self-Presentation Online. The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpsychology, pp. 34-56.

Howard, N. (2020) Lie machines. How to save democracy from troll armies, deceitful robots, junk news operations, and political operatives. Grand Rapids: Yale University Press.

Keep, M., Janssen, A. and Amon, K. (2019) Image Sharing on Social Networking Sites: Who, What, Why, and So What? The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpsychology, pp. 348-369.

Larnier, J.  (2019) Ten arguments for deleting your social media accounts right now. London: Vintage.

Veliz, C. (2020) Privacy is power. Why and how you should take back control of your data. London: Bantam Press.

Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K., 2014. Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), pp. 206–222.

Zuboff, S. (2019) The age of surveillance capitalism. The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. London: Profile books.

Key words search

Smartphones, surveillance, data privacy, democracy, gender