Empirical studies in this volume explore the social dynamics that influence the adoption and experience of ICT in various everyday life and work contexts. By examining a range of settings, the book offers grounded insights into the ongoing debates surrounding the integration of information and communication technologies in society.
The contemporary internet focuses on user experiences of more recent developments on the internet, specifically with the spread of broadband, the audio-visual applications it has enabled, Web2.0 uptake more generally and the growth of eGovernment. The Contemporary Internet is comparative in two senses. The first is at the cross-national level, examining factors affecting different countries’ experiences of the internet, with a particular, but not a sole, interest in what may be termed ‘cultural influences on perceptions, adoption and use’. Second, the book is comparative within countries, examining the, sometimes very, uneven experiences of the internet’s possibilities. One question that pervades several chapters is how the digital divide is evolving in the light of the more contemporary developments outlined above.