COM 101
COM presents a screening of “The YouTube Effect,” followed by a conversation with its writer and director, Alex Winter, Gabriella Coleman, Harvard University, Anthropology, Eleni Castro, Director of Digital Ventures, Boston University, and disinformation expert and COM Assistant Professor Joan Donovan.
About the film: The history of YouTube is both inspirational and cautionary; the video-sharing website appeared in 2005 and quickly grew to become one of the most ubiquitous and powerful media platforms in the world. It is impossible to overstate its impact on global culture by providing easy and immediate access to news, entertainment media and other vital forms of information. It has, however, helped radicalize some of its viewers with right-wing propaganda and other dangerous forms of media.
This is the story of our times; the technology revolution has made our lives easier and more enriched, while also presenting dangers and challenges that make the world a more perilous place. And at this extraordinary moment in history, it’s the story of how we got here and where we’re going.