Life Begins HERE

This book explores the relationship between the Internet and those who use it. There has never been a systematic study of how the Internet and online social networks enable ordinary Chinese people to engage in daily activities that would otherwise have been beyond their reach. These new ways of obtaining and making use of information and of interacting with others have had profound effects on people’s lives. Online social networks are not simply a passive tool; they also actively shape the habits and mentality of those who use them. This book argues that there are four aspects to the dynamic relationship between the Internet as an instrument and its users, namely hybridity (H), entanglement (E), resilience (R), and empowerment (E).

Di Zhu, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China, and Secretary General of the Chinese Sociological Association’s Research Committee on Sociology of Consumption. Her interests include the sociology of consumption, sustainable consumption, social stratification and research methods, and youth consumer culture.

Yijin He, Ph.D., is Lecturer, Beijing University of Technology, China. He does research in sociological theories, methodology, social networks and youth culture.

Feng Tian is Researcher, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China. Tian’s research focuses on population sociology, youth studies, and social network.