Social media abyss : critical internet cultures and the force of negation /

In his fifth volume of writings on internet culture, media critic Lovink, founder of the Institute of Network Cultures (Amsterdam Univ.), covers the social culture of networks and the interaction of the latest forms of media, and their users. In this latest book, the nine chapters cover topics such as informational overload, Bitcoins, the i-network community in Uganda, the "selfie culture," writer Jonathan Franzen, social media's growth, and the results and concerns for the future, media theory, crowd funding, cyber currency, and the politics of organized networks. The chapter topics are thought provoking in presenting ideas about our social connections with the internet. It is something we really want in our daily lives? Why are we so attached to a network that lessens our privacy? Are we too connected to its use to simply let go and lessen or stop its usage? These are topics that continue to be discussed and evaluated. Lovink ask questions that lead the reader to think and debate the issues at hand and consider possible alternatives to the culture of the internet. Detailed notes and a select bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --Cynthia Lea Clements, Richland College