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danah boyd

It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens Hardcover – February 25, 2014

by danah boyd (Author)

253 ratings

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“boyd’s new book is layered and smart . . . It’s Complicated will update your mind.”—Alissa Quart, New York Times Book Review

“A fascinating, well-researched and (mostly) reassuring look at how today's tech-savvy teenagers are using social media.”—People

“The briefest possible summary? The kids are all right, but society isn’t.”—Andrew Leonard, Salon

What is new about how teenagers communicate through services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Do social media affect the quality of teens’ lives? In this eye-opening book, youth culture and technology expert danah boyd uncovers some of the major myths regarding teens' use of social media. She explores tropes about identity, privacy, safety, danger, and bullying. Ultimately, boyd argues that society fails young people when paternalism and protectionism hinder teenagers’ ability to become informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens through their online interactions. Yet despite an environment of rampant fear-mongering, boyd finds that teens often find ways to engage and to develop a sense of identity.

Boyd’s conclusions are essential reading not only for parents, teachers, and others who work with teens but also for anyone interested in the impact of emerging technologies on society, culture, and commerce in years to come. Offering insights gleaned from more than a decade of original fieldwork interviewing teenagers across the United States, boyd concludes reassuringly that the kids are all right. At the same time, she acknowledges that coming to terms with life in a networked era is not easy or obvious. In a technologically mediated world, life is bound to be complicated.

Print length

296 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Yale University Press
Publication date

February 25, 2014
Dimensions

5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0300166311
ISBN-13

978-0300166316
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

"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

"The key point is that social behaviour is adaptive, and people in power (i.e. 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

"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

"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, Financial Times

"[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

"boyd’s new book is layered and smart . . . It’s Complicated will update your mind."—Alissa Quart, New York Times Book Review

"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

"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

"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

"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

"A fascinating, well-researched and (mostly) reassuring look at how today's tech-savvy teenagers are using social media."—People

"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

Winner of the 2015 Educators Book Award given by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

About the Author

danah boyd is Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, Research Assistant Professor at New York University, and Fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. She lives in New York City.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press; 1st edition (February 25, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300166311
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300166316
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.06 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #945,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #539 in Medical Adolescent Psychology
- #654 in Social Media Guides
- #663 in Popular Adolescent Psychology

Customer Reviews:
253 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Kat Howard

Messy

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2020

Verified Purchase

There are so many problems with this book. Irrelevant details are brought up but never discussed. Irresponsible dissuasions are prevalent. Radical claims are made without citation, while other trivial or well known claims are cited. Participant's situational awareness (or lack thereof) is rarely addressed so it is assumed every participant has the same level of information available to them, when that's simply not the case. Majority of the book has a tone of "they should be allowed to make their own decisions during this liminal period" yet talks about actual cases of child endangerment and other dangers children face online while downplaying their significance entirely. This book didn't age well at all since fairly innocuous childrens sites have come under fire for having fairly extensive predation rings, but boyd downplays this with severely outdated information (for the time of publication) that hasn't aged well at all. For instance, "the study found that only 4 percent of solicitations came from people known to be over twenty-five, whereas 76 percent came from other minors and the rest came from adults aged eighteen to twenty-four" citing the CCRC as source for such numbers, however the same center states that majority of perpetrators of sexual abuse against children are other juveniles or adults under the age of thirty with acquaintances being the main perpetrators followed by friends and family. This is not how boyd presents these numbers. She cites old studies and states that the teens themselves would sooner fabricate their own information to appear older when interacting with a potentially exploitative situation than the groomer themselves. Stating that a lot of these scare tactics are intentionally misused to misinform the public, she intentionally uses dated information to downplay actual dangers. Using a 2000 study in a 2014 publication where internet usage increased dramatically during that time is entirely negligent. In 2000, there was only 361 million Internet users. In 2014, there were over 2 billion. To think that numbers from a study of internet encounters among children in 2000 would reflect the statistics from a decade later when there were over a billion new users is intentionally manipulative and ethically wrong in light of this book's main argument of allowing children to have wider agency on the internet.

4 people found this helpful

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hilal isler

well-researched, well-written

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2019

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a thoughtful consideration of what it means to be young and online. dr. boyd writes with clarity about the ways young people negotiate invisible audiences, and the collapsing of contexts; how they contend with complicated online social dynamics, with issues of persistence, visibility, spreadability, and shaming. professor boyd is careful not to pathologize social media practice or use the panicked rhetoric we often see in the news ('millennials are doomed!' etc.). i think her chapter on privacy was my favorite. "there's a big difference between being in public and being public," she writes. how can we( better) reconcile acts of online exhibitionism and publicity with a sincere desire for privacy? overall, a great read filled with insight. recommended! five stars.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

It's Complicated Book Review

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

“It’s Complicated” was a fascinating read that shed light on a somewhat controversial aspect of our society today. The issue of teenagers and their interactions with technology is controversial because of the conflicted opinions shared between teenagers and adults. I am twenty-three years old, so it was easier for me to relate to Boyd’s opinions expressed by younger people in today’s culture. However, I also am an adult working in the professional world, so I do carry a diverse perspective. I found it very surprising and somewhat refreshing to hear her take such an optimistic role. I appreciated her point of view because she had done incredible amounts of research and conducted many interviews. Instead of acting solely on emotion or assumption, Boyd was focused on incorporating data and real-life examples.
The ways that Boyd constructed her arguments throughout the book were honest and open-minded. In the ‘Danger’ chapter, Boyd stated: “As always happens whenever adults obsess over child safety, restrictions emerge and fearful rhetoric abounds (pg. 103).” I did notice how Boyd used absolutes like this throughout the book that weren’t always accurate. To say that something ‘always happens’ is an unrealistic extreme. I know parents who are overbearing when it comes to the safety of their children and they focus their fears by having healthy conversations, not automatically imposing restriction. Overall, the ways that Boyd argued were very fair in addressing both sides of the issue and giving teens a fair say in what was expressed. I found her stories to be engaging and accurate.
One thing that I wished Boyd touched on more throughout the book was the issue of safety from a privacy standpoint for teens on the internet. A fear that I have for young people comes from the horror stories of young girls or boys getting involved with adults online and getting taken advantage of in vulnerable ways. I admit that this is an aspect of the digital world that I do not fully understand so I do want to know how I can better equip young people to not fall into those traps. I found it interesting when Boyd said: “When parents choose to hover, lurk, and track, they implicitly try to regulate teens’ practices. Parents often engage in these acts out of love but fail to realize how surveillance is a form of oppression that limits teens’ ability to make independent choices (pg. 74).” I see what Boyd is talking about here, but I do wonder how to achieve the balance of having some sort of surveillance without making teens feel limited. It would have been nice for Boyd to elaborate on this more.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and appreciated Boyd’s refreshing style of writing that provided clarity and perspective on a prevalent topic in our society today. I would recommend this book to be read by educator’s and parents who desire a holistic understanding on the social lives of networked teens. Boyd creates awareness about many aspects of the online world while also helping eliminate misconceptions that adults might have. If we are to better reach our students today, I think we need to be more like Boyd and try to understand their desire for an online presence from their point of view.

8 people found this helpful

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Art Lover

Important Reading!

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

As an educator of youth and researcher of youth culture - I found this exceptionally helpful. The author looks at youth engagement in social media, not through rose-colored glasses, but with clarity and a balanced examination of the positive and negative effects and implications. In the end, readers are made aware that the interactive communicative affordances of digital media simply present new tools that young people use in accomplishing the same ends of generations past - engaging with peers in socially meaningful ways. Important to parents, teachers. and policymakers.

Helpful

Dr. P

OK Boomer, we ARE different than you

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

I guess the book serves it purpose in that it does create some empathy for the world that today's teens find themselves living in. I am a bit less confident that social media is the place that can substitute for public spaces for healthy teen engagement, but the book is worth reading anyway. I may try to use it in class and see what the reaction will be from students.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Matthew Monks

Social media and teenagers: it's complicated!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2016

Verified Purchase

Don't worry that this book is 'out of date'. You may think that because social media moves so quickly that a book written 2 years ago may not be able to fully outline the world we live in today. This book preempts and counters that argument very early on. If you have children, or you are a teacher, you need this book. The relationship between teenagers and social media is complex and vast, but this book will clear up a lot of the doubts you have. The book is written by an anthropologist, not a social media guru.

6 people found this helpful

eundum

Interesting and informative

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2015

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed reading this book which looks at the use of social media by teens and seeks to find a reasoned view. It does not hide the fact there are problems but sets them in context. This left me more reassured but more importantly empowered to look at my own teens' use of social media and hopefully be more helpful overall.

Paul T.

and this book has been very useful to my research

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

Currently studying self perceptions and self presentations of youth subcultural tribes, and this book has been very useful to my research.

M. Wakefield

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

Thank you

Francisco Restivo

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

Really very good. Great insight on the ways we use the new public space.

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