Personal Connections in the Digital Age [Paperback]

Nancy Baym (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 21, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0745643329 | ISBN-13: 978-0745643328 | Edition: 1

The internet and the mobile phone have disrupted many of our conventional understandings of our selves and our relationships, raising anxieties and hopes about their effects on our lives. This timely and vibrant book provides frameworks for thinking critically about the roles of digital media in personal relationships. Rather than providing exuberant accounts or cautionary tales, it offers a data-grounded primer on how to make sense of these important changes in relational life.

The book identifies the core relational issues these media disturb and shows how the ways we talk about them echo historical discussions about earlier communication technologies. Chapters explore how we use mediated language and nonverbal behavior to develop and maintain communities, social networks, new relationships, and to maintain relationships in our everyday lives. It combines research findings with lively examples to address questions such as whether mediated interaction can be warm and personal, whether people are honest about themselves online, whether relationships that start online can work, and whether using these media damages the other relationships in our lives. Throughout, the book argues for approaching these questions with firm understandings of the qualities of media as well as the social and personal contexts in which they are developed and used.

Personal Connections in the Digital Age will be required reading for all students and scholars of media, communication studies, and sociology, as well as all those who want a firmer understanding of digital media and everyday life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Combining in-depth knowledge of the topic based on decades of Baym's own and others' research with a clear, concise and straightforward writing style that makes it a joy to read, this is the kind of accessible book that many academics would love to have written."
Times Higher Education

"Lively and thought-provoking throughout, this book challenges the myth that ‘cyberspace' dramatically transforms personal connections by revealing, instead, the complex and subtle ways in which people manage social interaction online and offline in response to the affordances of the various modes of communication available."
Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics and author of Children and the Internet

"Something is happening. Do you know what it is? Nancy Baym does, with a book bristling with ideas and authority. Filled with clear, lively writing, she both surveys and advances the field. I learned so much."
Barry Wellman, University of Toronto

"Baym provides us a clear, concise, and thought-provoking discussion of the role of new digital media our interpersonal and societal relationships. She creates a welcome blend of her own and others' research, the affordances and capabilities of new media, historical and technical contexts of the telegraph through the Internet, stable as well as changing societal norms, and her own Internet experiences."
Ronald E. Rice, University of California, Santa Barbara

From the Back Cover

The internet and the mobile phone have disrupted many of our conventional understandings of ourselves and our relationships, raising anxieties and hopes about their effects on our lives. This timely and vibrant book provides frameworks for thinking critically about the roles of digital media in personal relationships. Rather than providing exuberant accounts or cautionary tales, it offers a data-grounded primer on how to make sense of these important changes in relational life.

The book identifies the core relational issues these media disturb and shows how our talk about them echo historical discussions about earlier communication technologies. Chapters explore how we use mediated language and nonverbal behavior to develop and maintain communities, social networks, and new relationships, and to maintain existing relationships in our everyday lives. The book combines research findings with lively examples to address questions such as: Can mediated interaction can be warm and personal? Are people honest about themselves online? Can relationships that start online work? Do digital media damage the other relationships in our lives? Throughout, the book argues that these questions must be answered with firm understandings of media qualities and the social and personal contexts in which they are developed and used.

Personal Connections in the Digital Age will be required reading for all students and scholars of media, communication studies, and sociology, as well as all those who want a richer understanding of digital media and everyday life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Polity; 1 edition (June 21, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745643329
• ISBN-13: 978-0745643328
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.5 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely, Relevant Text - Highly Recommended December 13, 2010

By CMC Professor

Format:Hardcover

At this point, the textbooks that cover technology-mediated communication are sparse, despite having quite a robust research presence. This book, which I just used for my course in technology and communication, is excellent. Baym conceptualizes the work in technology-mediated communication in a clear, easy to read fashion. I feel in no way this text is "over the heads" of undergraduates. At this point, I believe this text is the only viable undergraduate text in the subject area (although I am going to try my hand at it too). I feel this book would help advanced learners, such as practitioners and graduate students, as well. Really an exceptional work that fills a HUGE gap. Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, Readable and Reasonable June 28, 2010

By John McKnight

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

While Baym's work is highly academic, strongly grounded in theory, and chockfull of references to important works from a broad range of cultures (Finnish cell phone use? Politics of friending on Korean social networks?), above all, it's readable. I literally couldn't put it down, and I'll definitely want to use it as a text for undergraduates and graduate students alike.

Baym is ever-reasonable, balanced, personable, striking that fine balance of authorial presence between a phony and stilted objectivity and "TMI." Every concept she introduces is fairly, clearly presented, whether she agrees with it or not.

If you're looking for a good scholarly introduction to new media, or an STS work in media studies, or just an example of academic writing at its best, this is the book.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible, understandable and insightful September 15, 2010

By P. Dalen

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dr. Baym is an academic and gives the reader tons of references to back up her points. As a lay-person with only a cursory knowledge of many of these matters I found the book to be completely accessible and diffuclt to put down. (What better compliment?)

Loved it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Recommend April 9, 2013

By janedoe4797990

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Baym does a great job of writing an academic paper (citing a myriad of studies) without being overly wordy or convoluting the issues. It's well organized, easy to follow, and highly relevent for anyone studying the dynamics of digital communication, social media, etc.

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book, Tiny Print, No Digital Format?? March 7, 2013

By Colo Karen

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is required reading for my Communications course, and I highly recommend it. This is a thorough and completely enjoyable read for anyone trying to come to terms with the ups and downs of computer-mediated relationships. However, isn't it ironic that a book that focuses on "the Digital Age," isn't available in digital format? For older students like me, squinting at the eensy-weensy text in the paperback version is an absolutely horrible experience.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book! November 26, 2011

By muvli

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Read this book as part of my research for a graduate-level paper. Baym provides a wealth of information regarding communication in the digital space and how we are navigating and creating mediated relationships. It's a quick and enjoyable read.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Defective printing September 6, 2012

By C.D.L.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

All content aside, this book should not be sold at full price because the printing press was defective. The first few chapters' page were assembled out of order. Imagine having to jump ahead 10 pages, then back 5, then ahead 12 more to read properly. Kind of a pain, and something college students do not have the time for.