Academic Research & Reflection
This analytical essay explores how streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube manipulate user identity and perceived autonomy through strategic metaphors, content moderation, and data-driven algorithms. It critically examines the tension between user agency and corporate-controlled platform environments, offering insights into the broader impacts of platform capitalism on individuality and self-expression. Skills Showcased: Critical analysis, research synthesis, academic writing.
An ethnographic study exploring the online dynamics, shared practices, and digital embodiment within a sorority’s Slack community, showcasing insights into social norms, identities, and the interplay of online and offline experiences. Skills Showcased: Ethnographic research, qualitative analysis, academic writing, and digital community observation.
An in-depth analysis of the opening sequence of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, exploring how deliberate juxtapositions of youth and adulthood, innocence and danger, are conveyed through symbolic use of color, imagery, and sound. Skills Showcased: Analytical writing, film analysis, symbolic interpretation, and narrative critique.
This essay examines how TikTok’s platform affordances, including short-form video formats and algorithmic design, shape influencer identity and audience engagement. It delves into the intricate relationship between technological evolution and self-performance, offering insights into the cultural and economic dynamics of social media platforms. Skills Showcased: Critical analysis, media research, discourse analysis, academic writing.
A critical analysis of Theodor Adorno’s warnings about the standardization of popular music, exploring its implications on creativity, listener autonomy, and societal influence in both the 20th century and today, with a focus on modern digital platforms and evolving music consumption. Skills Showcased: Academic research, critical analysis, writing, and interdisciplinary cultural studies.
A narrative and analytical essay exploring the tension between childhood idealism and the realities of human nature. Through personal anecdotes and critical reflections on beloved childhood stories, the piece examines the coexistence of altruism and selfishness, highlighting the nuanced journey toward self-awareness and empathy. Skills Showcased: Narrative & analytical storytelling, critical writing, and introspective reflection.