Age of Revolutions Assignment Proposal

Course: MLS610-02D. Spring, 2018

Instructor: Dr. Susan W. Thomas

February 26, 2018

 

PART 1: Discussion Board

TED Talk

 

View the the TED talk “How Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google Manipulate our Emotions” by Scott Galloway. (Note: This talk contains graphic language).

Write an original post (150-200 words) that expresses your personal response to Galloway’s views on the moral, social, and economic impact of the most leading companies of the Information Revolution era.

 

The following questions may be helpful to guide your responses:

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• Galloway states that “the combined market capitalization of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google is now equivalent to the GDP of India”. How did these four companies come to influence our lives so drastically?

• What are your views regarding the revealing statistics that Scott Galloway shares dominance and motivation?

• How have these companies transitioned into becoming technology companies (especially Facebook and Amazon)?

• How would the world operate without them?

• Are these four companies dominating us without our full consent? Can this phenomenon, be prevented or even regulated?

 

Helpful Resources for Further Reading:

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• Book: Galloway, Scott. 2017. The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google

• Article & Podcast: Johnson, Eric. Amazon will be the first company worth $1 trillion, NYU’s Scott Galloway says. June 12, 2017.

 

PART 2: Readings

Weblinks

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• "Technology and Workforce: Comparison between the Information Revolution and the Industrial Revolution" by Mathias Humbert, University of California, Berkeley

• "Beyond the information revolution". By Peter F. Drucker, F The Atlantic Monthly. 1999. 284 (4): 47-57

• "Information Revolution vs. Industrial Revolution." In Gale Encyclopedia of E-Commerce, 2nd ed., edited by Laurie J. Fundukian, 381-384. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2012.

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As you read, consider the following questions:

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• What were the origins of the Information Revolution?

• What are the most significant cultural, social, and economic changes during the Information Revolution?

• Why does the United States have a central role in the Information Revolution?

• Why is this revolution open ended?

 

PART 3: Writing/Journal Assignment

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Choose one of the questions below and write a 3-5 page paper  Your essay must be a personal response to the main characteristics of the Information Revolution.

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• Can any of the main dot.com companies (Amazon, YouTube, Apple, Facebook and Google) become a sovereign superpower, dominating air, land, and sea? Would the leaders of these e-commerce companies try to obtain political power and rule the world?

• In 1688, after William of Orange’s invasion, the English parliament tried to find a way to replace James II by a protestant ruler. Thus, William and Mary were declared king and queen by act of parliament. Before the Glorious Revolution, William's confidante, Willem Bentinck, launched a propaganda campaign by printing pamphlets that presented William as the best candidate to replace James II. In the Information Revolution era, propaganda can be carried out instantaneously in very clever ways. How does confirmation bias affect people’s opinions? Can you think of ways propaganda will be disseminated beyond the Information Revolution?

• Even though Information Revolution is an ongoing process, what lessons have you learned from it so far? How do they compare to the experiences you gained from the revolutions covered in this course? What is so unique about the Information Revolution?

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