The Social, Cultural And Environmental Costs Of Hyper-Connectivity: Sleeping Through The Revolution

Cover
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Contents
Acronyms
About the Author
Foreword
Acknowledgements
1 | Introduction
	Our New Digital Age
	Big Brother Knows Exactly Who You Are!
	Understanding Technology: Who Designs the Future?
	Understanding the Digital Age
	Coming in the Following Chapters?
	References
2 | The Digital Behemoths
	The Big Four
	Google
	Amazon
	Facebook
	Apple
	So, What’s the Problem?
	Digital Age Sloganism
	References
3 | Towards Cultural Homogenisation
	Is There Digital Diversity?
	The Rise of European Culture
	The United States and Big Tech Takes the Reigns
	What Digital Wants Digital Gets
	Towards Musical Homogenisation
	References
4 | The Challenges to Our Innate Cognitive Abilities and Mental Well-being
	The Human Costs of Digital Technologies?
	Changing Minds?
	Humans: The Weakest Link?
	Surrendering to the Machine
	Precarious Work
	A Just Transition
	References
5 | The Smartphone: A Weapon of Mass Distraction
	Our New Digital Appendage
	A Brief History of the Mobile Phones
	Attraction and Distraction
	Addiction as a Design Feature
	The Human Cost of Our Smartphones
	References
6 | Online Privacy and Surveillance
	The House Is Watching, and Listening
	Privacy in the Digital Age
	Privacy Matters
	Ground Zero for the Digital Surveillance
	Digital Surveillance States
	The Cambridge Analytica Scandal
	Who Protects Our Privacy?
	References
7 | Digital Divides
	Mind the Gap
	The Digital Haves and Have-Nots
	The Digital Gender and Race Divides
	Big Tech’s Role in Economic Inequality
	The Need for Inclusivity
	References
8 | An Increasing Ecological Threat
	The Ecological Fallacy of Digitalisation
	The Ecological Reality: (Over)Consumption and Mounting Waste
	The Insatiable Energy Demands of the Digital Age
	Big Tech’s Clandestine Role in Intensifying Climate Breakdown
	Digital Technology Alone Cannot Save Us?
	References
9 | Digital Democracy: The Winners and Losers
	The Digital Promise of Democracy
	Watching Freedom Fail
	Weaponising the Internet against Liberty
	A Free and Open Press
	Distrust, Disinformation and Discontent
	The Retreat from Reality
	Back to Reality: Enter the Showman
	The Wizards Behind the Curtain
	References
10 | Retaking the Reins
	Make Digital Get Again
	Doing Nothing Is Not an Option
	Epilogue
	References
Index