“How do you make decisions in an increasingly complex world?” “Real or Fake?” “What has been done?” These questions, posted on the endless void of social media, are out of context but packed with meaning. These questions are not human questions. These were asked in a calculated effort to support…
Char Stiles’ Astroturfing explores the political power of social media. By populating a digitally constructed field with the social media posts of the Chinese 50 Cent Army (五毛党), the largest exporter of online astroturfing, Stiles questions the unmooring and impact of digital messages. Astroturfing is the practice of masking the sponsors…