Overview of Course

This is a course about evolving and emergent global information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their effects on society, with a primary focus on the creation, evolution, and future of the Internet. Related telecommunication technologies such as mobile telephony, broadcasting, teleconferencing, and virtual/augmented realities will also be examined. The rise of Internet hacking on an international level and its implications for national security and personal privacy will be a central area of study. Internet applications such as social networks, games, and teleconferencing will be analyzed in terms of their social effects. Key telecommunication theories related to ICT will be studied and applied in relevant areas. Universal social issues that transcend media boundaries such as equal access to ICT, censorship, privacy infringement, cultural norms, overcoming physical impairments, and environmental factors will also be examined in detail.