A Civilization of Discontents: Social Media Demystified

Speaker(s): Eric Jarosinski (NeinQuarterly.com)

A talk by Eric Jarosinski

With his popular Twitter feed @NeinQuarterly, Eric Jarosinski provides a satirical "Compendium of Utopian Negation" whose aphorisms focus on European literature and culture, critical theory, and the German language. His work with social media has been recognized as a highly innovative form of outreach in the humanities and drawn significant international media attention, including features in the following: Public Radio International's The World, the Los Angeles Times, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, The Wall Street Journal, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel, Focus, and Die Presse.

Prof. Jarosinski is an assistant professor of German at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on Weimar-era literature, culture, and philosophy. Additional interests include visual culture, architecture and design, advertising and consumer culture, social media, and tourism. Recently recognized with the School of Arts and Sciences Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching by an Assistant Professor, Prof. Jarosinski has taught courses on Marx, Nietzsche, Kafka, Thomas Mann, literary theory, the Frankfurt School, German Modernism, modern German theater, postwar German literature, and contemporary German consumer culture.