Superconnected: The Internet, Digital Media, and Techno-Social Life

Dr. Mary Chayko is a sociologist, Teaching Professor of Communication and Information, and Director of Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies at the School of Communication and Information (SC&I) at Rutgers University. She is also an affiliate member of the graduate faculty of the Department of Sociology and an affiliate member of the faculty of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers. She received a B.A. in Communication and Psychology from Seton Hall University, and an Ed.M. in Counseling Psychology and M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Rutgers University.

About the Author
Chapter 1: Superconnectedness
Superconnected
The Internet . . .
. . . Digital Media . . .
. . . and Techno-Social Life
Technology, Mediation, and the Diffusion of Innovation
Sociality, or Being Social
This Book
Chapter 2: Creating the Internet Age
A (Very) Short History of Information and Communication Technology
A (Not Quite as) Short History of Computing and the Internet
The Web Is Born
A Deep, "Dark" Web Is Also Born
Wireless and Mobile Communication
Early Online Networking
Full-Featured Social Network Sites (SNSs) and Social Media
The Triple Revolution of the 2000s
Chapter 3: Inhabiting a Digital Environment
Sociomental Spaces, Cultures, and Societies
Why Not Cyberspace?
Online Communities, Networks, and Networking
Creating Digital Environments
Reality, Presence, and Proximity
Reality and the Brain
Emotionality and Intimacy
So . . . What About Physicality?
The Intersection of the Online and the Offline
Chapter 4: Sharing and Surveillance
Sharing and Prosuming in a Participatory Culture
Crowdsourcing
Liking and Following--And Being Liked and Followed
Ownership of Online Content
The Power to Disseminate and Publish Information
Accuracy, Inaccuracy, and the Rise and Transmission of “Fake” News and Information
Vertical, or Asymmetrical, Surveillance
Horizontal, or Social, Surveillance
Privacy and Obscurity
Chapter 5: Global Impacts and Inequalities
Globalization and Technology
Stratification and Inequality
Cultural Divides
Hacking, Danger, Crime, and War
Finding Solutions, Bridging Divides
Speaking Back to Power: Social Organization, Movements, and Activism
The Rise of Citizen Journalism
Chapter 6: Techno-Socialization and the Self
Socialization, Self, and Identity
Development and Performance of the Self
Expression of the Self
When Identity Is Marginalized
Growing Up Online and Offline
Socialization Never Ends: Socialization Throughout Adulthood
Chapter 7: Friending, Dating, and Relating
Interactivity
Making Digital Connections
“Chemistry” and Synchronicity
Friendship--Online and Offline
Flirting, Dating, Romance, and Sex
Trust and Social Support
Interpersonal Conflicts and Harassment
The Life Span of Digital Relationships
Chapter 8: The Techno-Social Institutions
The Institutional “Heart”: The Family
Health Care
Religion
Work and Commerce
Education and Libraries
Politics and Governing
The Media
Chapter 9: More Benefits and Hazards of 24/7 Superconnectedness
Constant Availability
Convenience and Microcoordination
Fun, Play, and Entertainment
Multitasking and the Attention Span
Stress, Information Overload, and FOMO
Emergencies
Dependency and Addiction
Health and Moods
Being Plugged In . . . to Society
Chapter 10: Our Superconnected Future
New and Emerging Technologies
The Techno-Social Path Ahead
The Human-Machine Connection
Our Personal Paths
Acknowledgments
References
Index