The Internet: An Introduction to New Media

Description

Life without the internet, a very new technology, seems almost unimaginable for most people in western nations. Today the internet is intrinsic to media and communications, entertainment, politics, defence, business, banking, education and administrative systems as well as to social interaction. The Internet disentangles this extraordinarily complex information and communication technology from its place in our daily lives, allowing it to be examined anew. Technology has historically been shaped by governmental, military and commercial requirements, but the development of the internet is increasingly driven by its users. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and many other emerging applications are shifting the way we express ourselves, communicate with our friends, and even engage with global politics. At the same time three-quarters of the world's population remain effectively excluded from the internet. Packed with case studies drawn from around the world, The Internet presents a clear and up-to-date introduction to the social, cultural, technological and political worlds this new media form is creating.

Lelia Green is Professor of Communications at Edith Cowan University, Australia, and author of Communication, Technology and Society.

Highly recommended. * Times Higher Education Supplement * A broad, thoughtful and stimulating account ... that is highly suitable for undergraduate courses in communications and media. * Australian Journal of Communication * A highly accessible and detailed introduction ... I would recommend this book to newcomers to the study of the internet and new media. * Media International Australia * An interesting and enjoyable read, offering a clear and detailed account of how the internet is used at individual as well as more global levels ... an insightful guide for students and lay-readers alike ... the book raises all readers' awareness of existing challenges and concerns associated with social inclusion (and exclusion), internet regulation and policy debates that are more than often overlooked in the current enthusiasm and excitement with regards to the new possibilities the internet is said to offer. * Learning, Media and Technology * Makes a persuasive case for an approach to the internet based in a theoretically informed and empirically grounded social constructionism and social shaping of technology approach, and shows the vital contribution that the social sciences and humanities can make to our understanding of one of the most influential technologies of the twenty-first century. * Continuum International Review *