Digital Media and Society

The rise of digital media has been widely regarded as
transforming the nature of our social experience in the
twenty-first century. The speed with which new forms of
connectivity and communication are being incorporated into our
everyday lives often gives us little time to stop and consider the
social implications of those practices. Nonetheless, it is
critically important that we do so, and this sociological
introduction to the field of digital technologies is intended to
enable a deeper understanding of their prominent role in everyday
life.

The fundamental theoretical and ethical debates on the sociology
of the digital media are presented in accessible summaries, ranging
from economy and technology to criminology and sexuality. Key
theoretical paradigms are explored through a broad range of
contemporary social phenomena - from social networking and
virtual lives to the rise of cybercrime and identity theft, from
the utopian ideals of virtual democracy to the Orwellian nightmare
of the surveillance society, from the free software movement to the
implications of online shopping.
As an entry-level pathway for students in sociology, media,
communications and cultural studies, the aim of this work is to
situate the rise of digital media within the context of a complex
and rapidly changing world.