AESTHETIC DIMENSION OF INFORMATION MEDIATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL INTENTIONALITY IN THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

This study investigates how the conceptual framework of Information Science can contribute to critical analyses of User Experience (UX) on digital platforms – such as social media and games – aimed at children and adolescents. It is theoretical in nature, with a qualitative and exploratory approach. The study starts from the observation of the hypervulnerability of this population in the face of business models structured by surveillance capitalism and the attention economy, which prioritize connection maintenance and engagement to the detriment of users' best interests. It proposes an articulation between the aesthetic dimension of information mediation and the concept of technological intentionality as an analytical resource for examining the impact of digital environments on subjectivities. The use of these analytical devices results in exposing the active steering and the impact on affects and meanings exerted by these environments, also denouncing the possible impairment of imagination and the capacity to see beyond the established. It concludes that Information Science can offer effective conceptual tools to unveil the intentionalities inscribed in technological mediations.