This course opened my eyes to how much meaning digital artifacts carry and how they shape the way we understand the world. I now see things like memes, selfies, and hashtags as more than just entertainment, they are powerful cultural objects that can reinforce or challenge societal norms. One key takeaway from this class is that digital artifacts don’t just exist in a vacuum—they’re deeply connected to history, culture, and even power dynamics. The theme that intrigued me the most was the idea of publics and counter-publics, it amazed me to see how social media platforms create spaces for different groups to engage with the same content in diverse ways. For example, I analyzed Selena Gomez’s Vogue 73 Questions interview showed me how her fans see her as relatable and inspiring, while others may critique her portrayal as part of a larger celebrity culture. I found myself reflecting on how I also form my own “publics” by engaging with certain media and choosing what resonates with me. Another idea that also relates to this was the concept of encoding and decoding because it helped me see how media creators encode messages with specific meanings, but audiences might interpret them differently. It reminded me of how I sometimes see comments on social media that completely misunderstand the message of a post—it’s frustrating but also fascinating. Overall, this made me more critical of the media I consume and it showed me how digital artifacts can be a powerful tool for shaping public opinion. For instance, political campaigns often encode specific messages into their content, but different publics can decode them based on their beliefs or biases. Coming from a region where politics and media are closely connected, this made me think about how digital tools can both amplify voices and control narratives. I left this course with a new way of looking at the world online.