The Network Society

by Jan A.G.M. van Dijk

The Network Society is now more than ever the essential guide to the past, consequences and future of digital communication.

Fully revised, this Third Edition covers crucial new issues and updates, including:

• the long history of social media and Web 2.0: why it's not as new as we think

• digital youth culture as a foreshadow of future new media use

• the struggle for control of the internet among Microsoft, Google, Apple and Facebook

• the contribution of media networks to the current financial crisis

• complete update of the literature on the facts, theories, trends and technologies of the internet

• new features for students with boxes of chapter questions, conclusions and boxed explanations of key concepts

This book remains an accessible, comprehensive, must-read introduction to how new media function in contemporary society.

Genres: Sociology, Social Media

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 1999

Reviews

[Yates Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading this book in 2019 I realise how I had really missed some of the key ideas on first reading some years ago.

Not an easy read and by all means not up to date completely and could do with more references to the underlying network theory work...

But overall this is the most complete and insightful analysis of network effects on society and is a must read for anyone trying to understand the effect of digital technology on social transformation. If we had paid more attention to the work we might have reduced some of the negative impact earlier.

[Serdar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Digital Revolution! I like hes review on mass media co-operations, Although I couldn't help my self thinking that he was too sharp and narrow minded at times. In my opinion the affection of this book should be, how to minimize this epidemic fever at larger communities, in order to have an effect towards the mass media operations. As an addition, maybe there should be less prespectives since there are becoming overlayered every now and than at story line

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Van Dijk offers a comprehensive look at network society and social media, which I read as part of my graduate coursework.