"An exhaustively researched study of how teens use technology . . . and a manifesto on how parents as individuals and society as a whole let young people down when they insist on protection and paternalism over media literacy and critical thinking. Even readers who are not parents, or teens, may well find this one of the most interesting books of the year."—Amy Benfer, Los Angeles Times
(Amy Benfer
Los Angeles Times)
"A passionate, scholarly, and vividly described account of the reality of young peoples' use of networked technologies in America today. Painstakingly researched through interviews and close study for more than a decade, boyd's book is the most important analysis of networked culture I've yet to read."—Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing
(Cory Doctorow
BoingBoing)
"It’s Complicated is both a report from the front lines and a larger social analysis. . . . It probes much deeper than just the latest fads in Twitter gossip or Snapchat goofiness . . . On one level it is designed to counter the paranoia and anxiety that many parents still feel about their children’s engagement in social media. . . . But on another level it is a poignant critique of contemporary civilization . . . The briefest possible summary? The kids are all right, but society isn’t."—Andrew Leonard, Salon
(Andrew Leonard
Salon)
"danah boyd . . . is one of my favorite people to talk with about teenagers and technology. That’s not because I agree with her all the time. . . . But danah is the best kind of sparring partner because she always tells me something I didn’t know along the way. That holds true with her new book, which offers interviews with teenagers in communities across the country. By filtering them through her distinct danah lens, she gleans valuable insights."—Emily Bazelon, Slate
(Emily Bazelon
Slate)
"Based on a decade of research and interviews with adolescents from the suburbs to the inner city, It’s Complicated is a persuasive anti-alarmist polemic that should help ease parents’ concerns about all sorts of Internet bogeymen."—Randye Hoder, TIME Health & Family
(Randye Hoder
TIME Health & Family)
"A fascinating, well-researched and (mostly) reassuring look at how today's tech-savvy teenagers are using social media."—People
(
People)
“Students, parents, and educators will find this a comprehensive study of how technology impacts teens’ lives and how adults can help balance rather than vilify its inevitable use.”—Publishers Weekly
(
Publishers Weekly)
“boyd’s extensive research illuminates the oft-misunderstood world of teens today, where social media is an extension of life . . . Thorough information interwoven with common-sense advice from teens and the author enable readers, particularly parents, to relax a bit regarding this new media age . . . Comprehensive new research that illuminates why and how social media is important to teens.”—Kirkus Reviews
(
Kirkus Reviews)
"The key point is that social behaviour is adaptive, and people in power (ie parents) rarely understand the coping strategies being used by others. When adults start worrying about our children’s use of the internet, we should also ask what we can learn from our children—and then look in the mirror at our own behaviour too. And have the courage to give kids more freedom physically to roam in the 'real' world— alongside their travels in cyberspace."—Gillian Tett, Financial Times
(Gillian Tett
Financial Times)
"In explaining the networked realm of teens, boyd has the insights of a sociologist, the eye of a reporter, and the savvy of a technologist. For parents puzzled about what their kids are doing online, this is an indispensable book."—Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute, author of Steve Jobs
(Walter Isaacson 2013-07-29)
"If you want to understand the digital worlds inhabited by today's young people, this is the book to read."—Howard Gardner, coauthor of The App Generation
(Howard Gardner 2013-08-07)
"Boyd has done her homework and listened well. She is a high-tech medium translating the language and meaning of teenagers and social networking."—Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues and In the Body of the World
(Eve Ensler 2013-10-13)
"I want to get this publication into the hands of every teacher, parent, policy maker, and journalist. Thoughtful in her analysis and adept at skewering the most common misunderstandings and anxieties about teens' online lives, boyd is the best possible person to write a book like this, and this book does not disappoint in any way."—Henry Jenkins, coauthor of Spreadable Media: Creating Meaning and Value in a Networked Culture
(Henry Jenkins 2013-07-26)
“Astute, nuanced, provocative and hopeful, boyd does it all in this must-read treatise on teens and their digital lives.”—Stephen Balkam, Founder and CEO, Family Online Safety Institute
(Stephen Balkam 2013-07-30)
"danah boyd is one of the smartest people thinking about how teenagers use the Internet—a topic of enormous importance to parents, me included. Her book is smart, sophisticated, and imbued throughout with a rare and wonderful sensitivity to the real, lived experiences of teenagers. Read it to understand what they're doing online, and why—you'll come away enlightened!"—Emily Bazelon, author of Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy
(Emily Bazelon 2013-08-13)
"Impeccably researched, written and argued, danah boyd's It's Complicated is essential reading for anyone with even the slightest interest in teens or social media."—Justine Larbalestier, author of Liar and Zombies versus Unicorns
(Justine Larbalestier 2013-08-22)
"Crucial reading for anyone who wants to understand the nuances and hard realities of being a teenager in our networked world. (I'm looking at you, parents, policy makers, and YA writers.)"—Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies
(Scott Westerfeld 2013-08-23)
"Finally, a book about youth and social media that actually gives youth a voice! The insights here offer unprecedented perspective for parenting and teaching in this networked world of ours."—Anne Collier, co-director ConnectSafely.org, writer NetFamilyNews.org
(Anne Collier 2013-08-30)
"For the price of two grande frappucinos, you can buy this book . . . and young people will make sense."—Nancy Lublin, CEO, DoSomething.org
(Nancy Lublin 2013-09-23)
“A rare teens'-eye view into the often mystifying changes to our everyday communication, boyd's book offers a voice of reason in the often heated debates over young people and technology.”—Mizuko Ito, University of California, Irvine
(Mizuko Ito 2013-09-24)
“boyd always moves beyond conventional wisdom when it comes to understanding teen online behavior. It's invaluable to have here the results of her years of study.”—Elisa Camahort Page, co-founder, BlogHer
(Elisa Camahort Page 2013-09-30)
“The book took a decade to complete, and cites sociologists including Michel Foucault and Erving Goffman, but it’s the voices of the 166 teenagers Boyd interviewed across America that make it a truly enlightening read.”—Jane Mulkerrins, The Sunday Telegraph
(Jane Mulkerrins
The Sunday Telegraph 2014-03-02)
“It’s Complicated, a new book about teenagers and digital technology by the media scholar danah boyd, places today’s smartphones, iPads and laptops in the context of this perennial power struggle between adolescents and parents. In doing so, it adds much to our understanding of a young generation of hyper-connected, hybrid consumer-producers – a cohort whose behaviour often unites parents, educators and investors in collective bewilderment.”—Gautam Malkani, The Financial Times
(Gautam Malkani
The Financial Times 2014-03-01)
“[T]here is something marvellously sensible about Boyd’s resolutely academic style. . .Boyd’s anatomy of teenage life is penetrating”—Jane Shilling,
The Sunday Telegraph (Jane Shilling
The Sunday Telegraph 2014-03-16)
‘[T]here are. . .a lot of interesting observations here: that most teenagers aren’t “digital natives” as we like to believe.’—Carole Cadwalladr,
The Observer (Carole Cadwalladr
The Observer 2014-03-23)
‘
It's Complicated champion[s] a rich, complex idea of what youth is about, and view[s] with horror the way adult discussions so often reduce the young to mute metrics.’—Simon Ings,
New Scientist (Simon Ings
New Scientist 2014-03-22)
‘Boyd’s slim academic study makes a compelling case that today’s teenagers are more adept at navigating [the] dilemmas of the social media age than we old crusties aged 20 and over.’—Helen Lewis, New Statesman
(Helen Lewis
New Statesman 2014-04-11)
"boyd’s new book is layered and smart . . . It’s Complicated will update your mind.”—Alissa Quart, New York Times Book Review
(Alissa Quart
New York Times Book Review)
