Understanding Digital Media: An Introduction to Contemporary Media Aesthetics

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course offers an introduction to the aesthetics and theory of digital media. We explore how the digital revolution has transformed media aesthetics across film, television, online environments and the arts. Through a blend of philosophical, political, and aesthetic inquiry, we investigate how the digital society redefines what it means to be human, how we interact socially, and how we conceptualize reality itself. Our exploration is guided by several questions: Is reality a simulation? Can humans be "upgraded" through merger with digital technology? Are algorithms and A.I. ushering in a post-human social reality? We will also address the political dimensions of these shifts, specifically how computational power has fueled "cybernetic capitalism" and the rise of the "control society". We engage with these concepts through a diverse range of media, including film (Inception, The Matrix, Ex Machina, Edge of Tomorrow, Everything Everywhere All at Once), television (Black Mirror, The Rehearsal), digital media examples and A.I., video games, and the arts. Along the way we discuss media theory and cybernetic theory (e.g. Katherine Hayles, Niklas Luhmann) in pursuit of our themes and questions. No prior background is required - only curiosity about our digital world and its future. HUMA 16300 can qualify for a third Humanities general education requirement if the student completed HUMA 16000 and HUMA 16100. HUMA 16300 may also be taken as an independent elective.