Spring Pop-Up Course Explores the Psychology of Misinformation in the Digital Age
The Innovation Incubator is launching a new pop-up course this upcoming spring titled, “Drowning in BS: Conspiracies, Urban Legends and AI Slop in the Digital World.” This course will examine how misinformation spreads in online spaces, why people believe it, and how it shapes society, politics, and democracy, all while satisfying GE Area 4A and E requirements in social sciences.
Offered under CPU 1540, the three-unity hybrid asynchronous course meets Thursdays from 10to 11:15 a.m. and includes both in-person and virtual components. Randy Stein, Shonn Haren, and L. Lin Ong will lead instruction.
Through engaging discussions, media analysis, and case studies, students will learn how to navigate media bias, understand the psychology behind belief in conspiracies and critically evaluate the information they encounter online. The course also investigates how generative AI tools can amplify misinformation through text, images, and video.
“The student of misinformation or BS (whatever you prefer to call it!) is often in one moment hilarious and terrifying, but never boring,” said Stein, associate professor of marketing.
“It’s a chance to dive into how people reason about what’s true and what’s not, how falsehoods develop and have been weaponized throughout history, how science works—or is supposed to work—what media literacy is and why many people don’t have it, and why modern technologies like social media and AI should be helping but of course aren’t.”
Stein added that the course reflects Cal Poly Pomona’s “Become by Doing” philosophy by preparing students with essential critical thinking and media literacy skills for the digital age.
“Modern technologies, for better or worse, make it clear that the most valuable skillset of the future will involve sorting through a complex set of information and identifying BS,” Stein said. “If you learn what we teach in this class, you’ll learn how to have an informed opinion on literally any question.”
Haren, research and instruction library and associate professor, emphasized that the class empowers students to recognize misinformation and approach online content with discernment.
“The inspiration for this class is the increasing prevalence of misinformation and conspiracy-centered thinking in society, which has been accelerated through social media and, more recently, the use of generative AI to spread events that never happened,” said Haren. “I hope students come away more familiar with the many ways misinformation is created and learn to think twice before reacting to inflammatory content they encounter online.”
The Innovation Incubator’s pop-up courses are designed to help students and faculty explore urgent, real-world topics that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. These short-term, high-impact courses address emerging issues that have the potential to shape students’ personal, educational, and professional success, equipping them with the tools to think critically and act confidently in a changing world.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to share this opportunity with students who are curious about the impact of media, technology, and AI on truth in society.
To learn more about this upcoming pop-up course, visit Innovation Incubator’s website or contact them directly at innovationinc@cpp.edu.