Catherine Sylvester
CCTP 505
Final Reflective Paper
Technology, Communication and Law: Taking an Interdisciplinary Approach
The information age, the digital, computer or new media age; whichever term you
use to describe the age in which we live, there is no denying that we inhabit a world that
is dominated by digital technology. Through their respective disciplines, Professor Meg
Jones and Professor Leticia Bode both addressed areas of research related to technology
and information that is disseminated through these technological platforms in their
lectures. Despite the different research areas, Professor Jones focusing on law,
technology and social science and Professor Bode focusing on social science
(communication – social media), there are problems both lectures would recognize and
share. One such problem in the information age, there are huge amounts of information
constantly available to anyone, created by anyone, which leads to misinformation and
misrepresentation of information. This problem intersects technology, law and social
science (specifically in the area of communication).
This problem can be addressed through research questions that could be
recognized and shared in lectures from both Professor Jones and Professor Bode. In
Professor Jones’s lecture she addressed the issue of safety of personal/private information
in the information age. Breaking it down even further, the problem can be identified as
pertaining to the legality surrounding the use, release and recording of personal
information. In her lecture, Professor Bode discussed the issue of misinformation and the
impact social media has on both creating and reducing misinformation.
Research Question Professor Jones: Would database algorithms be a useful
technology to regulate misinformation online? Who would have the right control these
algorithms? What legislation would be in place to regulate the funding mechanisms of
this technology?
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Catherine Sylvester
CCTP 505
Final Reflective Paper
This question focuses on the technology and law aspects of Professor Jones’s
lecture. On the technology side, this question proposes a solution to the problem in the
form of database algorithms. On the law side, this question proposes how this technology
would be regulated and funded. There are also some assumptions that play into these
areas that could influence the way in which this problem is researched. This question
could be examined by making up a new method, as proposed by Professor Jones in her
lecture, such as the Technological-Legal method. This method makes the assumption
that technology is a separate entity that does not interact on a social science level. For
example, the idea that technology is an autonomous being that serves as a representation
of personhood. In addition, this method also makes the assumption that whether or not
something is consider legal is a black and white decision –it does not account for the
ethical and moral grey areas of the law in everyday practice. The assumptions of this
method also lead to ignoring potential social science implications. For example, for those
who are not technologically savvy, the idea of having some kind of technological entity
controlling/fact checking what is disseminated online could be quite worrisome. Also,
this question fails to address the underlying issue of how different societies may view the
idea of government regulation of funding on a social/cultural identity level. A potential
question that could address the differing view of the role government in societies is: how
do different societies attempt to regulate, with either technology or policy,
misinformation spread through online platforms?
Research Question Professor Bode: What role do Social Media platforms play
in the sharing and consequential believing of 'fake'/satirical news, e.g. The Onion? How
has the evolution of ‘fake’/satirical news sources impacted media literacy?
This question focuses on the social science –communication aspects of Professor
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Catherine Sylvester
CCTP 505
Final Reflective Paper
Bode’s lecture by utilizing social media platforms and fake/satirical news sources as
communication tools. There are also some assumptions that play into this area that could
influence the way in which this problem is researched. In her lecture Professor Bode
discussed pros and cons of various social science research methods and explained her
reason for choosing to employ the use of an experiment. To answer the question proposed
here, utilizing an experiment would also be an appropriate method. By using this method
to answer this question the assumption is being made that Social Media platforms and
‘fake’/satirical news sources such as The Onion are influential communication tools.
Communications research assumes that anything that disseminates information is a
communication tool. As accurate or inaccurate as this may be the fact remains that Social
Media platforms are not simply a communications tool: they are a complex technological
system. In addition, they also hold within them their own legal agency that determines
how they operate on a most basic level. In addition, this question and method assumes
both a low and high level of media literacy. It assumes a low level of media literacy by
drawing off the idea that individuals would believe the ‘fake’ news to be real. It also
assumes a high level of media literacy in that individuals would understand the ‘fake’
news to be false and share it on Social Media. The communications area also comes
without the examination of psychological distress and emotional humiliation that could
come from someone believing a ‘fake’ news article and promoting it as being real on
Social Media, only to find out later that it is in fact false.
The assumptions and discussion of what is lacking from the siloed approaches
outlined above could be addressed through an interdisciplinary approach. The
assumptions held in the Technological-Legal method used to examine the problem
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Catherine Sylvester
CCTP 505
Final Reflective Paper
through the lens of Professor Jones’s research, all but ignores how technology interacts
on a social and cultural level within a culture. Including a sociological or
communications approach along with the technological approach could resolve this
assumption. In terms of the assumptions made by the area of law, adding in a
sociological, philosophical and/or communications discipline perspective could aide in
resolving the missing areas. For the question aimed at Professor Bode’s lecture,
incorporating the disciplines of technology, to address the missing element of what a
Social Media platform is at its core, as well as a legal approach could aide in filling in the
missing pieces. In addition, incorporating a psychological or sociological perspective
could lend itself to resolving the issue of the potential emotional distress an individual
who is not media literate could face when they post something online that was not meant
to be believed as being true. This could be examined in how this fear of social shame
could reduce the sharing of ‘fake’ news and/or could examine any lasting psychological
effects on someone who has been socially shamed for sharing the false as being true.
The examination of Professor Jones and Professor Bode’s lectures allow for the
analysis and creation of new problems that could be answered through research in a
variety of disciplines. Perhaps the most interesting and impactful takeaway is the
revelation of just how important interdisciplinary research is in filling in the gaps left by
the traditionally siloed approach to academic research.
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