How do new Communication Technologies affect Everyday Life?
How have the development of computer systems — from mainframes to laptops — been shaped by governmental and organizational actions and desires? What are the implications of the information highway for privacy, autonomy, social stratification, democracy, and other important social issues? We’re now entering the third phase of thinking about the Internet. Phase 1 was “wow, what a brave new world.” Phase 2 was doing systematic documentation of who is online when, where, why, how, and for what? Phase 3 looks at how the Internet fits into everyday life. We look at sociability, civic involvement, social capital, the global village, and how the Internet has affected the Canadian household. We will also discuss how research – both qualitative and quantitative is conducted using the Internet. What is the Nature of Computer-Mediated Communities? To what extent can people find “virtual community” at a distance when connected by the Internet, the Web, videoconferencing and other parts of the infor
