This six-week series offers a how-to guide for navigating social media with an informed, critical eye. Peeking behind the curtain of popular sites like Facebook and Instagram, participants will learn about social media algorithms, online marketing, data collection, and cyber hygiene. By demystifying social media, the series aims to empower participants, equipping them with the knowledge (and best practices) they need to boost their social media literacy.

Dates: Wednesdays, March 20 – April 24, 2024.

Time: 1:30pm-3:30pm

Location: Online, via Zoom.

Registered participants will receive an email from the LLeaP team, sharing the zoom information prior to the first day of this series.

Topics:

  • Week 1: The digital landscape of social media platforms
  • Week 2: User bias and cyber hygiene
  • Week 3: Sponsored posts, brand recognition, and influencer marketing
  • Week 4: Algorithms and echo chambers
  • Week 5: Digital activism to build community and promote change
  • Week 6: AI—a fast-evolving new frontier

About the Lecturer:  Samphe Ballamingie has run recruitment and marketing campaigns for a diverse set of clients, from businesses and post-secondary institutions to nonprofits and artists. Over the last year, she has worked as a Data Quality Specialist at Cohere, an AI company creating Canada’s very own ChatGPT—Coral. She is a talented content creator, having freelanced as a documentary filmmaker and writer, publishing stories of climate justice, community organizing, and sustainable urban design. Her work has been shared by the YouTube Creators for Change & United Nations Film Festival, Dazed Digital, The Breach, and more. You can access her publications, films and podcasts here (https://linktr.ee/samphe).

Policies: Please review the Lifelong Learning Policies