Explores how the Internet influences us to function, think, communicate, learn, change, and evolve. This text discusses technology as a context in which human communication occurs; the focus is on the process of communication, not on technology. Covering the basic functions of the Internet, communication modes and contexts, and implications, Human Communication on the Internet offers a well-rounded look at the field of computer-mediated communication and its impact and influence on our lives.
About the Book: This book is about core issues related to human communication technology. It begins by examining the nature of information, human communication, and technology and ends by considering the confusion that can accompany hybrid reality. Along the way, there is material about privacy and anonymity online, cyber-bullying and trolling, online relationships, social networks and social network sites, digital civic engagement and much more.About the Author: Philip J. Salem is Professor of Communication Studies at Texas State University. He has been researching and writing about human communication technology for over 35 years. He was a Fulbright scholar, and he has presented his research, taught, and consulted around the world. Regional, national, and international communication associations have honored his wor
All manner of computer-mediated communication, or CMC, is considered in this textbook. The phenomenon of CMC, its development and current research, and the three types of Internet communication interpersonal, human-computer- interaction, and informational are described at length.
In this must-have new anthology, top media scholars explore the leading edge of digital media studies to provide a broad, authoritative survey of the study of the field and a compelling preview of future developments. This book is divided into five key areas - video games, digital images, the electronic word, computers and music, and new digital media - and offers an invaluable guide for students and scholars alike.
Online Communication provides an introduction to both the technologies of the Internet Age and their social implications. This innovative and timely textbook brings together current work in communication, political science, philosophy, popular culture, history, economics, and the humanities to present an examination of the theoretical and critical issues in the study of computer-mediated communication. Continuing the model of the best-selling first edition, authors Andrew F. Wood and Matthew J. Smith introduce computer-mediated communication (CMC) as a subject of academic research as well as a lens through which to examine contemporary trends in society. This second edition of Online Communication covers online identity, mediated relationships, virtual communities, electronic commerce, the digital divide, spaces of resistance, and other topics related to CMC. The text also examines how the Internet has affected contemporary culture and presents the critiques being made to those changes. Special features of the text include: *Hyperlinks--presenting greater detail on topics from the chapter *Ethical Ethical Inquiry--posing questions on the nature of human communication and conduct online *Online Communication and the Law--examining the legal ramifications of CMC issues Advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers interested in the field of computer-mediated communication, as well as those studying issues of technology and culture, will find Online Communication to be an insightful resource for studying the role of technology and mediated communication in today's society.
Social platforms such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter have rekindled the initial excitement of cyberspace. Text-based, computer-mediated communication has been enriched with face-to-face communication such as Skype, as users move from desktops to laptops with integrated cameras and related hardware. Age, gender and culture barriers seem to have crumbled and disappeared as the user base widens dramatically. Other than simple statistics relating to e-mail usage, chatrooms and blog subscriptions, we know surprisingly little about the rapid changes taking place. This book assembles leading researchers on nonverbal communication, emotion, cognition and computer science to summarize what we know about the processes relevant to face-to-face communication as it pertains to telecommunication, including video-conferencing. The authors take stock of what has been learned regarding how people communicate, in person or over distance, and set the foundations for solid research helping to understand the issues, implications and possibilities that lie ahead.
The internet has fundamentally transformed society in the past 25 years, yet existing theories of mass or interpersonal communication do not work well in understanding a digital world. Nor has this understanding been helped by disciplinary specialization and a continual focus on the latest innovations. Ralph Schroeder takes a longer-term view, synthesizing perspectives and findings from various social science disciplines in four countries: the United States, Sweden, India and China. His comparison highlights, among other observations, that smartphones are in many respects more important than PC-based internet uses. Social Theory after the Internet focuses on everyday uses and effects of the internet, including information seeking and big data, and explains how the internet has gone beyond traditional media in, for example, enabling Donald Trump and Narendra Modi to come to power. Schroeder puts forward a sophisticated theory of the role of the internet, and how both technological and social forces shape its significance. He provides a sweeping and penetrating study, theoretically ambitious and at the same time always empirically grounded.The book will be of great interest to students and scholars of digital media and society, the internet and politics, and the social implications of big data.
Praised for its teachability, Thinking Through Communication provides an excellent, balanced introduction to basic theories and principles of communication, making sense of a complex field through a variety of approaches. In an organized and coherent manner, Thinking Through Communication covers a full range of topics- from the history of communication study to the methods used by current communication scholars to understand human interaction. The text explores communication in a variety of traditional contexts: interpersonal, group, organizational, public, intercultural, computer-mediated communication and the mass media. This edition also offers new insights into public speaking and listening. This text can be used successfully in both theory- and skills-based courses. Written in a clear, lively style, Trenholm's overall approach-including her use of examples and interesting illustrations-helps both majors and non-majors alike develop a better understanding of communication as a field of study and an appreciation for ways in which communication impacts their daily lives.
An accessible, comic book-like, illustrated introduction to how the internet works under the hood, designed to give people a basic understanding of the technical aspects of the Internet that they need in order to advocate for digital rights. The internet has profoundly changed interpersonal communication, but most of us don't really understand how it works. What enables information to travel across the internet? Can we really be anonymous and private online? Who controls the internet, and why is that important? And... what's with all the cats? How the Internet Really Works answers these questions and more. Using clear language and whimsical illustrations, the authors translate highly technical topics into accessible, engaging prose that demystifies the world's most intricately linked computer network. Alongside a feline guide named Catnip, you'll learn about: • The "How-What-Why" of nodes, packets, and internet protocols • Cryptographic techniques to ensure the secrecy and integrity of your data • Censorship, ways to monitor it, and means for circumventing it • Cybernetics, algorithms, and how computers make decisions • Centralization of internet power, its impact on democracy, and how it hurts human rights • Internet governance, and ways to get involved This book is also a call to action, laying out a roadmap for using your newfound knowledge to influence the evolution of digitally inclusive, rights-respecting internet laws and policies. Whether you're a citizen concerned about staying safe online, a civil servant seeking to address censorship, an advocate addressing worldwide freedom of expression issues, or simply someone with a cat-like curiosity about network infrastructure, you will be delighted -- and enlightened -- by Catnip's felicitously fun guide to understanding how the internet really works!
