The Internet: An Introduction to New Media (Berg New Media) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Internet, by Lelia Green, is a must have read for those who are deeply familiar with the intricacies of the internet and for those who are newly fascinated, and a little overwhelmed, by its apparent and somewhat sudden stronghold on their everyday lives. Lelia provides the necessary introductions and overviews in a way which cuts to the chase of where we have come, in terms of the internet, and where we are now. It is a reassuring beginning for the reader, particularly for newbie enthusiasts, as the author opens the most pertinent doors of information widely and leaves others slightly ajar for further reading and independent investigation. The truly internationalised nature of the internet is explored through featured country-focused case studies, throwing light on policy and on issues which expose the digital divide. While the digital divide has been discussed widely in relation to developing countries in the field of internet studies, and is most often cited as one of the internet's downfalls, Lelia chooses to unpack the digital divide discussion in a way that captures the social inequalities within wealthy (western) countries, and then rekindles the topic of the third world by demonstrating how it has affected the lives of families who live in poverty in a later chapter. The remaining chapters are drawn from her own repertoire of internet research, including: how the internet has been adopted for cultural expression and preservation or maladapted for misbehaviour; how it builds communities and provides the setting for community development, and; the way in which families converge with it. It is these five or so chapters which change the tempo from a guided and reassuring read about the internet and its current issues to one which is enticing and energising; perhaps challenging the reader to step out alone and see for themselves.

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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.

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