Marxism

• Digi com is used to gain h________ c______.

  Hegemonic control
• What are social networks sometimes referred to as?

  'Opium of the ppl'
• New forms of digi coms reinforce social __________.

  Inequality
• What do Marxists believe happens whilst we're on SM?

  We get surveilled
• Marxists believe that SM can shape ppl's ideas, creating a ______ _____ ________.

  Ruling class hegemony
• How do DFOCs legitimise the inequalities of capitalism?

  Encourage poor to uncritically accept capitalism ➡️ they don't question inequalities.
• How do DFOCs allow the wealthy to 'rule by consent'?

  By creating false class consciousness
• How can s. networks reinforce f. c. consciousness?

  They focus on non-critical issues like identity, entertainment + consumption
• Who do Marxists say want to manipulate the way other ppl think?

  Those controlling/owning DFOCs
• AO2: Strinati

  Pop culture distracts from the real problems of capitalism
• AO2: Chomsky (2011)

  SM platforms appearing to give ppl a voice are actually:

  • SUPERFICIAL forms of communications
  • Act as a distraction
  • They're shallow
• What could fake news be used for?

  To persuade ppl to vote for R-wing politicians so they deal w/ problems caused by fake news
• Misinformation

  False/inaccurate info that's inadvertently created + spread - not meant to be deceitful
• Disinformation

  False info that's deliberately created to influence public opinion OR obscure the truth
• AO2: Naughton

  Fake news is good for business BUT bad for democracy
• What does 'seeded' mean in the context of fake news?

  When articles are deliberately placed on certain sites to illicit an emotional response
• Who else can generate fake news?

  'Bots' - computer algorithms designed to act like ppl sharing info quickly + automatically
• AO2: Cornford & Robins

  The digital revolution was expected to encourage broadcaster diversity but nothing has changed
• There is a c____________ of _____ in a handful of companies/individuals > could be used to gain hegemonic control.

  Concentration of power
• AO2: Robinson

  • Media ownership has been globalised + diversified
  • It's also linked to the 'Transnational bourgeoisie'
• What does 'FAANG' refer to?

  Media conglomerates - FB, Amazon, Apple, Netflix + Google
• AO2: Antonio Gramsci

  N-M who said media is central to hegemony

  • By controlling media communications, they control the message, ➡️ used to impose values which benefit themselves + maintain ideological dom. over proletariat. ​
• AO2: McChesney

  'Cult of homogeneity' = How FAANG have colonised the minds of millions to make them all think/act the same way
• Surveillance: Edward Snowden

  Govs are illegally intercepting + harvesting online communications to supposedly 'prevent terrorist attacks' > critics say that our HRs are being infringed
• Surveillance: The Great Firewall of China

  • Controls citizen's digital input
  • Doesn't let them access websites outside of China
• Many companies sell products + services on the internet that engage in c_______ s___________.

  Consumer surveillance e.g. Alexa
• AO2: Fuchs

  • Digital communications + social networks that are controlled undermine the concept of a participatory digital culture
  • Friendship + connectedness have been commodified
• What ideology does SM content reflect?

  Capitalist
• 2 -ve evaluations of this perspective?

  1. Assumes a unified conspiracy when irl the capitalists who own these platforms are competing against e.o.
  2. Marxists are deterministic; OVER-emphasise s. class at the expense of other ≠s
• Example of a concentration of power in media companies

  Rupert Murdoch owning over a 1/5 of UK media consumption
• AO2: Freidman

  Mass media replaced religion as the 'opium of the people'
• AO2: Marcuse

  Media acts as a constant distraction by constantly repeating the same values to socialise us into pursuing 'false needs'