Digital Cosmopolitans
Why We Think the Internet Connects Us, Why It Doesn't, and How to Rewire It
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- £6.99
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- £6.99
Publisher Description
“One of our most important books on globalization.” —Steve O’Keefe, New York Journal of Books
The enormous scope of the Internet can lead us to assume that as the online community grows, our world grows smaller and more cosmopolitan. In Digital Cosmopolitans, Ethan Zuckerman explains why the technological ability to communicate with someone does not guarantee human interaction or the healthy exchange of information and ideas. Combining the latest psychological and sociological research with current trends both online and off, Digital Cosmopolitans highlights the challenges we face and the headway being made in creating a world that is truly connected.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this fascinating and powerful reflection on what it means to be a citizen of the world in the Internet age, media scholar Zuckerman declares that, far from aspiring to full engagement with others around the world, we seek to connect with people who share our values, nationality, gender, and race. We are "increasingly dependent on goods and services from other parts of the world," he points out, "and less informed about the people and cultures who produce them." He argues that we all possess the capacity to build networks that "rewire" our world with a better sense of interdependence. Zuckerman suggests several ways we can utilize the Internet toward that end: cultivate "xenophiles" individuals whose love of other cultures enables broad conversations across boarders and seek serendipity by taking risks and exploring new forms of media that encourage discovery of eclectic ideas. Zuckerman's imaginative and inventive reflections offer a resourceful guide to living a connected life with intention and insight.
