Your job for this paper is to propose a change to how social media systems operate in order to improve society. You can focus on a specific existing platform (such as Instagram), propose a design for a new platform, or consider broader changes. For example, you might pick a legislative intervention or a paradigm shift, such as charging users to make them actual customers.
Your paper should make the case for your proposed change, in as compelling yet realistic way as possible. You should discuss the proposed change, what it will accomplish, and how. If the proposal has been proposed by others, you should include and appropriately discuss references to those proposals, details of their proposed implementation, and arguments about them. If your proposal differs from existing proposals, you should put it into some context by comparing to the most similar existing proposals and/or distinguishing it from existing proposals.
You should address topics and questions (in an integrated narrative) including:
1). Background needed to understand the value of the proposed change.
2). What is the proposed change?
3). Make the case for your proposed change. What improvements to society would the proposed change accomplish, and how?
4). What are the potential negative and/or unintended consequences of the proposal?
5). If this change would involve government legislation, how likely does it seem that the legislation would pass? If the change involves voluntary changes from the platforms (or from an individual platform), what is the business model that would support the change? Or, are there other incentives for doing so?
6). Are there technical changes required to implement the change? Is new technical infrastructure outside of the platform required?
7). Are there societal or cultural changes required? How would these be brought about and do they seem feasible?
8). Anything else that seems relevant to exploring the proposed changes.
I recognize that much of this paper involves speculation about an unknowable future, and therefore some things can’t be clearly known. Even so, you should ground your proposal and arguments with evidence based on what we know now as well as informed predictions and speculation about your proposed future.
References should be included and cited to provide evidence for your arguments, background, and sometimes to discuss possible alternate points of view. References do not count toward the page limit.
