The Wired Homestead

The use of the internet in homes rivals the advent of the telephone,
radio, or television in social significance. Daily use of the World Wide Web and
e-mail is taken for granted in many families, and the computer-linked internet is
becoming an integral part of the physical and audiovisual environment. The
internet's features of personalization, interactivity, and information abundance
raise profound new issues for parents and children.Most researchers studying the
impact of the internet on families begin with the assumption that the family is the
central influence in preparing a child to live in society and that home is where
that influence takes place. In The Wired Homestead, communication theorists and
social scientists offer recent findings on the effects of the internet on the lives
of the family unit and its members. The book examines historical precedents of
parental concern over "new" media such as television. It then looks at specific
issues surrounding parental oversight of internet use, such as rules about revealing
personal information, time limits, and web site restrictions. It looks at the
effects of the web on both domestic life and entire neighborhoods. The wealth of
information offered and the formulation of emerging issues regarding parents and
children lay the foundation for further research in this developing field. The
contributors include Robert Kraut, Jorge Reina Schement, Ellen Seiter, Sherry
Turkle, Ellen Wartella, and Barry Wellman.