Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Written by an expert in media, popular culture, gender, and sexuality, this book surveys the common archetypes of Internet users--from geeks, nerds, and gamers to hackers, scammers, and predators--and assesses what these stereotypes reveal about our culture's attitudes regarding gender, technology, intimacy, and identity.



The Internet has enabled an exponentially larger number of people--individuals who are members of numerous and vastly different subgroups--to be exposed to one other. As a result, instead of the simple "jocks versus geeks" paradigm of previous eras, our society now has more detailed stereotypes of the undesirable, the under-the-radar, and the ostracized: cyberpervs, neckbeards, goths, tech nerds, and anyone with a non-heterosexual identity. Each chapter of this book explores a different stereotype of the Internet user, with key themes--such as gender, technophobia, and sexuality--explored with regard to that specific characterization of online users.



Author Lauren Rosewarne, PhD, supplies a highly interdisciplinary perspective that draws on research and theories from a range of fields--psychology, sociology, and communications studies as well as feminist theory, film theory, political science, and philosophy--to analyze what these stereotypes mean in the context of broader social and cultural issues. From cyberbullies to chronically masturbating porn addicts to desperate online-daters, readers will see the paradox in popular culture's message: that while Internet use is universal, actual Internet users are somehow subpar--less desirable, less cool, less friendly--than everybody else.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

This book invites the audience into a multifaceted exploration of a culture. Rosewarne (Univ. of Melbourne) presents an insightful resource that captures the complexities of each digitally cultivated identity and its impact on each specific role toward a mystical paradigm that is responsible for changing current and future generations. Through the inquisitive nature of her writing, Rosewarne mindfully threads such complexities in the six witty chapters, each representing a unique viewpoint that challenges the traditional mindset of such socially effective issues. This book should be a permanent reference in the libraries of scholars, practitioners, and parents who are seeking an extensive, unconventional perspective and methodologies in understanding the factors associated with global media. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty. --Mickie Wong-Lo, Northeastern Illinois University