SDF

MIN Young researches and teaches on the topics of media, politics, and democracy in the School of Media & Communication at Korea University. She is also the inaugural chair of the school’s Diversity Council, which aims to foster a culture of learning that respects the diversity of all members of the Korea University community.

Young’s own experience at university opened her eyes to a new world and changed the trajectory of her life in unexpected ways. She went from wanting to be a seismologist to studying history and society, developing in the process an interest in the effects of multi-layered communication on both the political life of individual citizens and the democratic life of the community.

Through numerous published papers, Young has analyzed the process of increasing political polarization in the new media landscape and explored the conditions that would be needed for an online space for public discourse and deliberation, where fiercely opposed groups could engage one another in dialogue. As part of a three-year project, she has been studying the political experience of older adults as “civic actors,” in particular their use of messaging and video platforms as mediums for communication. And in engaging these individuals who are venturing into the public square, conducting in-depth interviews as well as onsite research, Young has found herself maturing as a social scientist. Recently, through her lecture titled “The Digital Media and Democracy Project,” she and her students have been exploring various ways to link digital technology to innovation in democracy.