The growth of the internet has been spectacular. There are now more 1.5 billion internet users across the globe, about one quarter of the world’s population. This is certainly a new phenomenon that is of enormous significance for the economic, political and social life of contemporary societies.

However, much popular and academic writing about the internet takes a technologically deterministic view, assuming that the internet’s potential will be realised in essentially transformative ways. This was especially true in the euphoric moment of the mid-1990s, when many commentators wrote about the internet with awe and wonderment. While this moment may be over, its underlying technocentrism – the belief that technology determines outcomes – lingers on, and with it, a failure to understand the internet in its social, economic and political context.

Misunderstanding the Internet is a short introduction, encompassing the history, sociology, politics and economics of the internet and its impact on society. The book has a simple three part structure:
Part 1 looks at the history of the internet, and offers an overview of the internet’s place in society Part 2 focuses on the control and economics of the internet Part 3 examines the internet’s political and cultural influence

Misunderstanding the Internet is a polemical, sociologically and historically informed textbook that aims to challenge both popular myths and existing academic orthodoxies around the internet.

Reviews

‘The research is impressive, and the arguments are persuasive, a classic of media history and analysis’ Irish Times

'Misunderstanding the Internet is the book I have been waiting for since the late 1990s. It is a superb examination of the Internet, how we got to this point and what our options are going forward. James Curran, Natalie Fenton and Des Freedman have combined to produce a signature work in the political economy of communication. Thcombined hard research with piercing insight and a general command of the pertinent literature. This is a book I will be using in my classes for years to come.' Robert W. McChesney, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

'This clear-sighted book provides a sometimes provocative yet solidly grounded guide through the competing claims and hyperbole that surround the internet’s place in society. Deeply sceptical about the transformative potential of the internet, the authors combine an incisive history of the recent past with a call to action to embed public values in the internet of the future.' Sonia Livingstone, LSE, UK

'A deliciously fact-driven corrective to Internet hype of all kinds. Highly recommended.' Fred Turner, Stanford University, USA

'This is a very important book, scholarly, informative and full of useful references, it offers a piercing critique of old mythologies about new media. It is essential reading for students and te...