What's inside a technological hype? Analysing public discourse and/or developers' perspective

Technology changes the way people live and work. Much of this change happens rapidly, following a hype around a technological innovation or invention. However, what is a hype, how does it emerge, and how do specific stakeholders contribute to it? In this thesis we want to understand better how press and major media depict technological hypes and, more specifically, how stakeholders in IT are affected by it. The goal is to describe hype as a phenomenon of a globalized, interconnected world and to relate it to practice of software developers, inventors, and technology creators.

The primary objective of this project is to derive a deep understanding of what characterizes a hype from the perspective of public discourse. This might involve analysis of what phases of a hype are observable in public discourse, how press and media shape a hype, what emotions are reported in relation to a hype, and what behaviors can be observed on the market.

This work can be accompanied by analysis of IT freelancing platforms or developers' forums to study how technological hypes shape the behavior of freelancers and software developers. We also welcome interaction / interviews with developers to understand their private perspective on the hype.

The student will engage in search for the relevant material, its qualitative coding and analysis, and multiple rounds of sensemaking with researchers. A potential outcome is a new, more precise definition of technological hype and a framework useful to describe it. Additional deliverables include a systematically coded collection of qualitative data including newspaper articles, influential blog articles, and further material.

We are seeking a creative and open-minded student who likes taking a broad and social perspective on technical developments. If you are interested in political, ethical, social implications of new technologies you are at the right spot. Given our particular interest in freelancers' and developers' perspectives, we also value your connections to startup and freelancer scene or experiences in those areas.

Important: This announcement might result in two theses with one student focusing on public discourse and the other attending to developers' / freelancers' / startups' perspective.

Contact Mateusz Dolata for further information about this thesis.