220050 VO SPEZI: VO SOME B Theories and Practices of Social Media Communication B (2025W)

How do TikTok, YouTube, Substack and Instagram really work? Who decides what is visible – and who profits from it? The SOME B course offers an in-depth insight into the logic, business models and control mechanisms of leading social media platforms. The focus is on how content is produced, distributed and evaluated on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Substack, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Mastodon. Particular attention is paid to the influence of artificial intelligence – from algorithmic visibility to AI-generated content – and to the question of what role Europe can play in the platform world of the future.
Using specific platforms, we will work together to explore how monetisation, content strategies and recommendation systems interact – and how these systems are changing under the influence of new EU regulations (DSA, DMA, AI Act, GDPR). We will also take a look at alternative models: what could a digital ecosystem that is democratic, transparent and sovereign look like?
The course combines short inputs with discussions, tool demos, interactive exercises and reflection sessions. If you want to think, talk and shape things, this is the place for you.

The following topics will be covered, among others:
* Platform logic in transition: from social graph to interest graph
* Monetisation and content evaluation: CPM, creator funds, subscription models, recommendation algorithms
* Automated visibility: bots, recommender systems and the influence of agent systems
* The use of generative AI in content production
* European perspectives on platform regulation: DSA, DMA, AI Act, GDPR and Accessibility Act
* Alternative models for digital public spheres: decentralised networks, open source, digital sovereignty
The course combines analytical theory with practical applications. In addition to short inputs and tool demonstrations, interactive methods such as group work, platform analyses, prompt labs, discussions and live polls are used. Students thus acquire sound skills for careers in digital communication management, platform analysis or the political-regulatory environment – and develop a critical understanding of the power structures of the digital media world.