For this week we began to look at the network society and the importance that networked media plays in our society. I began to understand how the internet can transform our everyday lives in terms of our social, economic and cultural experiences.

I understand that the networked society relates to global and the idea of “globe-spanning digital media networks link up entire human activity across the planet”. I also looked at the networked society in terms of time. I explored whether or not someone can ever truly be ‘offline’ and that online connectivity recognizes time and space. People are always talking and interacting across the global, regardless of time zone. Having a online network that never sleeps and is consistently sharing data creates a massive community that is forever growing and changing.

“The Network Society is not produced by information technology. But without the Information Technology Revolution it could not be such a comprehensive, persuasive social form, able to link up, or de-link, the entire realm of human activity.” (Castells, 2004: p148). This quote stood out to me as it covers the importance of the information technology revolution and the capacity at which it affected the networked society. Before the lecture and the readings, I wasn’t aware of the Information Technology Revolution and how it relates to the network society but since this week it was brought my attention to more factors that have come into play in terms of the network society.

bibliography:

Castells, M (2004) ‘An introduction to the information age’ pp.138-149 in Webster, F. et al. (eds) The Information Society Reader. London: Routledge