Digital Utopias in Bochum: How Social Media Can Become More Solidary
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Digital Utopias: Rethinking Social Media
How do solidarity and community develop in digital spaces, even though platforms like TikTok are often characterized by hate, incitement, and commercial interests? On Thursday, November 19, 2026, the Knowledge Round Utopias invites you to the city library in Querenburg. Prof. Dr. Julia Bee from Ruhr University Bochum connects media studies with a socially important question: How can TikTok and other social networks be used more fairly, creatively, and democratically?
Between Information, Networking, and Platform Logic
TikTok is no longer just about music, dance, and short entertainment. Many people inform themselves about politics and society there, exchange experiences, and network on topics such as feminism, racism, queer life, and social injustice. The lecture takes this digital everyday culture seriously and shows how social media changes our view of the world.
Media Studies Meets Societal Debate
Prof. Dr. Julia Bee is a professor of Gender Media Studies with a special focus on diversity at Ruhr University Bochum. Her academic work brings together media aesthetics, image theory, gender, and social diversity. In Bochum, she offers an informed perspective on the opportunities and limitations of digital communication.
Central to the discussion are also the structures of the platforms: Algorithms often remain opaque, while providers profit from attention and personal data. The event explains these mechanisms clearly and creates space for a critical engagement with digital public spheres.
Speaking Together About Digital Utopias
The event experience thrives on the exchange with the audience. After the academic impulse, the discussion focuses on how social networks can become places of support, creativity, and democratic participation. The calm atmosphere of the city library in Querenburg provides a suitable setting: focused, open, and close to the questions of digital everyday life.
Part of the Knowledge Round Utopias
The event is part of the series Knowledge Round Utopias, organized by the Bochum Adult Education Center, the city library, and UniverCity Bochum e.V. The series brings together Bochum scientists with the local community and asks how a just future can be shaped. Participation is free of charge; registration facilitates event planning, but is not a requirement for attendance.
Conclusion: Making Digital Spaces More Solidary
This evening connects current media questions with social engagement and concrete future perspectives. Visitors can expect an understandable lecture followed by a discussion on TikTok, digital community, and democratic participation. Those who wish to not only consume social media but also critically and solidarily shape it will enjoy an inspiring evening in Bochum.
Official Channels of Julia Bee:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- YouTube: no official profile found
- TikTok: no official profile found
