introduction15these technologies or media genres first appeared, they were taken very seriously.Even the most fleeting acquaintance with the history of informa-tion and communication technologies indicates that moral panics are episodic and should be taken with a grain of salt. So too with utopian visions, which prove just as unrealistic. A popular T-shirt designed by John Slabyk and sold on the website Threadless sums up the disillusionment with failed technological utopias:they lied to usthis was supposed to be the futurewhere is my jetpack,where is my robotic companion,where is my dinner in pill form,where is my hydrogen fueled automobile,where is my nuclear-powered levitating house,where is my cure for this disease

persistence: the durability of online expressions and content;•visibility: the potential audience who can bear witness;•spreadability: the ease with which content can be shared; and•searchability: the ability to find content.

Publics provide a space and a community for people to gather, connect, and help con-struct society as we understand it

Teens are passionate about finding their place in society

Friendster, in particular, was designed as a matchmaking service.

introduction5Social media plays a crucial role in the lives of networked teens. Although the specific technologies change, they collectively provide teens with a space to hang out and connect with friends

But many adults were staring into their devices intently, barely looking up when a touchdown was scored. And unlike the teens, they weren’t sharing their devices with others or taking photos of the event

And even though many teens are frequent texters, the teens were not directing most of their attention to their devices. When they did look at their phones, they were often sharing the screen with the person sitting next to them, reading or viewing something together.

largely defined by race, gender, sexuality, and grade level, and those networks were immediately visible based on whom students were talking to or sitting with.

. My hope is that this book will shed light on the complex and fascinating practices of contemporary American youth as they try to find themselves in a networked world.

eight-year effort

“Can you talk to my mom? Can you tell her that I’m not doing anything wrong on the internet?”