Communication in Social Media

Course goals

At the end of the course, students will have a good understanding of social media communication in different professional settings and of the role played by AI driven algorithms in promoting and in developing social media content. Students will be able to critically assess how Generative AI analyses social media communication based on actual data, as well as to report on results in an effective way. They will also learn how to develop an innovative communication strategy in a professional context, exploiting Generative AI tools (i.e. Chat-GPT, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion) based on an understanding of platform functionalities, use of words and images, current trends and sentiments, user behaviour and role of (virtual) influencers.
 

Content

In this course, we evaluate the use of social media in organizations, and we investigate which strategies can be employed to influence communication and the ethical questions they raise. Special attention is dedicated to the increasing role that AI plays in driving the algorithms behind Social Media platforms and how to cope with them. The focus of the course will be on Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals.
We compare the power of words with that of images, videos, and stories. We consider the impact of attention in social media and the role of influencers. We discuss how language technology can help in automatically analyse communication and get a better insight into people’s behaviour and user groups. Techniques such as sentiment analysis, trend analysis, media analytics and visualization of communication are discussed.
We focus on how social media can be employed in our society, such as in small and large companies, in non-profit organizations, within the government. We learn to critically analyse existing social media strategies and to develop innovative communication strategies in one of these settings. We exploit Generative AI tools such as Chat-GPT, DALL-E and Stable Diffusion in developing personalised content. We also discuss the value of social media data in current algorithmic society and how these data are employed to shape social behaviour and surveillance, impact political choices and generate economic value.
 

Additional information

Please note: the time slot shown here is not yet final and may still be modified until the 3rd Wednesday in September. 

This course has a waiting list. If you enrol in this course, you will be placed on the waiting list automatically. Once course enrolment has ended, the available slots in the course will be allotted by drawing lots among the students on the waiting list. 

The course will be in English, but Dutch students can write their assignments and reports in Dutch. Students can also form Dutch only or English only subgroups to work on assignments and reports. Feedback will be provided in English or Dutch according to the subgroup composition. The course will rely on Generative AI models to highlight the impact they play in social media and make students aware of their benefits and limitations. Regular Use will be made in assignments and report.