Reflection

Preface

This reflection briefly explains the process I went through to complete this project, as well as the reasons why I organized the pages in this way, selected the key points for analysis, and presented the fraud prevention guide. The aim is to enable readers to understand how, based on the theoretical framework of the course (digital activism), I have transformed the critical understanding of digital culture into a practical and usable public resource.

Reflection Main Part

When finishing this project, I realized that the elderly fall victim to fraud in the digital age context, not because they are not careful enough, but because of the structure of the digital society that makes them more susceptible to being misled. These courses’ theories help me understand that digital inequality, replication of power symbols, emotion-driven mechanisms, and algorithmic division all shape the fragility of the elderly. Therefore, in this project, I must explain this issue from a structural perspective, which is demonstrated by WordPress.

At the beginning of the project (WordPress Home page), I chose to present the issue with very simple data and scenarios because the course discussion emphasized that the entry point must be clear; if it is too academic from the beginning, readers will have difficulty grasping the main points, which is the reason why I chose WordPress (the website design to represent) to give audiences (the elderly and family members) the ability to understand and access information easily. At the (fraud type) website page, it enables me to connect theory with real cases. In particular, both digital authoritative fraud and emotional manipulation fraud are highly consistent with the course theory. Mendes and Ringrose’s research on emotional mechanisms has enabled me to understand that authority fraud is not a technical phenomenon but rather a result of the rapid spread of emotions leading to delayed judgment. Also, Degeling’s analysis of the information distribution mechanism has made me realize that the frequency with which the elderly come across fraudulent information is itself a result of algorithmic bias.

The second important part of my project is an intervention guide for older adults and family members. I also realized that culture analysis is not only analysis but also intervention, which is the reason why I designed the guide page (using plain language to intervene against fraud). Using the simplest terms and videos, inform the elderly and their families of the actionable steps they can take when encountering two types of fraud. I deliberately transformed the complex language into simple actions such as “don’t rush, hang up the phone,” and so on, hoping to make knowledge truly accessible and usable. What is more, the clear and practical approach is a concrete response to the principal distribution matters emphasized in this course: if the information cannot be understood and utilized, it will be unable to play a role in protecting vulnerable groups.

Going back to the whole project, I experienced that the personal is political, that the fraud targeting the elderly may seem like an individual experience, but it actually involves structural inequalities in digital capitalism, the prioritization of platform algorithms, family communication methods, and how they create or replicate authority. In this project, I made my first attempt to truly bring theory back into real life, responding to social inequality in a small and concrete way. Although this guide and project are merely simple tools, they have enabled me to understand how theory can be a means of support and care and have also allowed me to see the practical value of cultural studies in the real world.