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Class number:
3390
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Title: Virtual Selves |
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Department: First Year Sem & Colloq |
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Career: Undergraduate |
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Component: Seminar |
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Session: Regular |
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Instructor's Permission Required: Yes |
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Grading Basis: Graded |
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Units: 1.00 |
| Enrollment limited to 15 |
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Current enrollment: 15 |
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Available seats: 0 |
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Start date: Tuesday, September 2, 2025 |
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End date: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 |
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Mode of Instruction: In Person |
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Schedule: MW: 1:30PM-2:45PM, LSC - 137 |
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Instructor(s): Holt, Laura |
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Prerequisite(s): Only first-year students are eligible to enroll in this class. |
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Distribution Requirement: Meets FirstYr Seminar Requirement |
Course Description:
To what extent is your online persona a reflection of your “true” self? Can you form a true friendship or romance with someone you have never met in person? With an AI chatbot? What is it like to live in a virtual world where you can assume any body and identity you want and have a virtual job and family? Is “internet addiction” a psychiatric disorder? How should it be treated?These are just some of the questions that we will explore in this seminar. We will apply traditional psychological principles to investigate how people construct online identities, how they engage in romantic and social relationships, and how technology use affects one’s mental health and worldview. You will engage in several course activities to develop your knowledge on these topics, namely a) reading assigned texts and research articles, b) participating in class discussions and structured debates, c) applying the course concepts to yourself and your life through structured exercises, and d) writing argument papers about salient issues related to technology and well-being. |