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John G. Palfrey
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Born Digital: How Children Grow Up in a Digital Age 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by John Palfrey (Author), Urs Gasser (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
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"An excellent primer on what it means to live digitally. It should be required reading for adults trying to understand the next generation." -- Nicholas Negroponte, author of Being Digital

The first generation of children who were born into and raised in the digital world are coming of age and reshaping the world in their image. Our economy, our politics, our culture, and even the shape of our family life are being transformed. But who are these wired young people? And what is the world they're creating going to look like? In this revised and updated edition, leading Internet and technology experts John Palfrey and Urs Gasser offer a cutting-edge sociological portrait of these young people, who can seem, even to those merely a generation older, both extraordinarily sophisticated and strangely narrow. Exploring a broad range of issues -- privacy concerns, the psychological effects of information overload, and larger ethical issues raised by the fact that young people's social interactions, friendships, and civic activities are now mediated by digital technologies -- Born Digital is essential reading for parents, teachers, and the myriad of confused adults who want to understand the digital present and shape the digital future.
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0465005154
  2. Edition
    1st
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Basic Books
  5. Publication date
    July 12, 2016
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    1673 KB
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Palfrey Palfrey
BiblioTech The Connected Parent
Customer Reviews
4.1 out of 5 stars
44
5.0 out of 5 stars
8
Price $16.37 $21.30
Explore the Works of John Palfrey Educator and technology expert John Palfrey argues that anyone seeking to participate in the 21st century needs to understand how to find and use the vast stores of information available online. A required reading for anyone trying to help their kids flourish in the fast-changing, uncharted territory of the digital age.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The authors are knowledgeable but never pedantic, their studious, emphatic approach is both valid and reassuring, and their overarching point--let's think about these things now, rather than trying to fix them later--well taken."―Washington Post

"A well-reasoned, thorough synthesis of some momentous, if familiar, ideas."―New Scientist

"A landmark sociological study of today's early adults"―Project Information Literacy

"Philosophy blends with social issues and insights in an invaluable pick for a brave new world, perfect for any discussions or collections strong in social issues, philosophy or science."―California Book Watch

"Born Digital offers a compelling account for parents, teachers, policy-makers, lawyers, and technical developers who want to know more about digital natives online activities and how these are changing society Palfrey and Gasser present a balanced view, highlighting problems and calling for solutions Born Digital is timely and informative."―Science

"Palfrey and Gasser's fine early history of this generation serves as a starting point for any conversation about how to mentor the children of the Web."―City Journal

"Parents and educators will benefit from Palfrey and Gasser's discussion of issues like safety, content control and illegal file sharing."―Publishers Weekly

"Ultimately, the book is an accessible survey of many of these as-yet-unsolved Internet dilemmas of our time and is well executed given the immense task of synthesizing the vast corpus of social science concerns relating to the Internet."―Library Journal

"Energetic, expert, and forward-looking, the authors serve as envoys between the generations. As old institutions crumble, there is a need for just this sort of enlightening, commonsensical, and positive guide to digital reality."―Booklist

About the Author

John Palfrey is president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and a former faculty director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He previously served as head of school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Urs Gasser is the Executive Director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. He has written and edited several books and has published over 100 articles in books, law reviews, and professional journals. He's also an advisor to international technology companies on information law matters.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01IAGWBQQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; 1st edition (July 12, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 12, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1673 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0465053920
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

About the author

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John G. Palfrey

John G. Palfrey

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I am president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

My research and writing focus primarily on new technologies and how they affect society. I write about young people and how they are growing up in this digital era; the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the development of the law with respect to new technologies.

Previously, I served as head of school at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. I served as chairman of the Board of Trustees at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Digital Public Library of America. Prior to Andover, I was Henry N. Ess III Professor of Law and Vice Dean for Library and Information Resources at Harvard Law School. I have also been a faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Samantha Lazar
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for educators, parents, and policy makers!
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
My interest in this book comes from being a hybrid-generational kid (gen x), an early adopter and frequent user of digital technologies, a teacher of middle grade students, and a mom of a digital native. Palfrey and Gasser do an excellent job of organizing and presenting the issues we face in supporting children and young adults thrive in this digital age. Born Digital is written in a very accessible form, and it is backed by a wealth of compiled research. I highly recommend it!
2 people found this helpful
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Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars Good perspective
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2017
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I have to say I did love this book, it provided some great perspective. The only possible issue I can think of is that it may have a short shelf life. You could read this now to help understand your teenagers but I wonder what the next generation will grow up like.
One person found this helpful
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mAtt
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book on on interesting topic
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2019
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Good book on the topic. easy to read and follow with a number of great points.
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Michael J. Danielson
5.0 out of 5 stars Critical Reading
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2018
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As a Media Literacy teacher this book is like a Bible. It's full of hope and promise as well as challenge and intrigue. Teachers and parents of course should read this but students and advertisers as well could benefit from the theory and insight the authors provide.
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Vanessa Robideaux
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing material
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2018
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Great informative book, bought for my college English comp 1 thesis.
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cami
5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2017
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Every parent and grandparent of a child growing up in this digital age should read this book.
2 people found this helpful
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danah boyd
5.0 out of 5 stars a brilliant reality check on young people's engagement with technology
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2016
Eight years ago, John Palfrey and Urs Gasser wrote the first edition of this book at a time when widespread panic surrounding social media and new technologies. With fresh eyes, they return to these issues to once again ask: “How do we effectively protect our children, as well as the interests of others, while allowing those same young people enough room to figure things out on their own?” This is an age-old question that, in many ways, has nothing to do with technology but for which technology makes all the more important. After all, the internet mirrors and magnifies the good, bad, and ugly of everyday life.

The revised version of Born Digital highlights how little has changed about the core issues that John and Urs have analyzed. Sure, the tools have changed - and will continue to change. Instagram may be the new Facebook, but tomorrow’s social apps will make Snapchat look like Myspace. There’s also little doubt that the issues that they attempted to map are so much more visible now that many technologies that were once only used by youth are now mainstream, while esoteric battles over privacy have become front page news because of Snowden. But many of the issues that youth face today are fundamental, shaped and redefined through technology, which often makes the issue so much more visible to so many more people.

They make it very clear (complete with a drawing!) of how important it is to support young people through a host of other actors in their world. Hillary Clinton’s notion that “it takes a village” could not be more true today. And yet, all too often, when we look at young people’s engagement with technology, we obsess over creating restrictions, filters, and/or laws that will address any concern that we might have. In this way, we let the technology distract us from the fundamental challenges that young people face - and the fundamental need for community that would help them.

Many young people face serious and significant challenges. Anxiety about access to education, student debt, and opportunities for employment are real, furthered along by rising inequality, which in turn feeds fanaticism and anomie. Young people want a space of their own at a time when their mobility is heavily restricted and their opportunities to be civic participants are extremely limited. Mental health issues are widespread and we have little in the way of a social safety net to truly support young people. They’re feeling pressure in all sorts of different directions, at a time when they’re obsessively trying to find their place in this world.

Technology makes all of this extraordinarily visible. What makes this book fascinating to read is the grounded approach with which John and Urs tackle each issue, untangling the different issues and offering a better frame in which to think. There will be no silver bullet solution and we all need to start engaging with the complexity if we really want to make young people's lives better.

I have been lucky to have had the opportunity to debate these issues with them for years. And while I’m humbled that they acknowledge my work as helping them work through these issues, I have to say the same in reverse. I’m writing this review because I feel as though this book is an essential read for parents and policymakers trying to make sense of young people who are trying to grow up in a time and place where technology is pervasive. It helps ground the conversation in important ways.

-- danah boyd, author of  It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens
5 people found this helpful
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Sarah Genner
5.0 out of 5 stars “Born Digital” is probably the best book about digital natives
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2016
“Born Digital” is probably the best book about digital natives, the generation for which omnipresent digital devices and the internet are as natural as breathing. In the digital age, the book—especially in the updated version of 2016—is a must-read for anyone interested in younger generations. The authors John Palfrey and Urs Gasser are among the most renowned global experts in youth and the internet. Their seminal book has tremendously helped bridging the gaps between academia, practitioners, and the general public.
Many books about digital natives tend to be about a single aspect or seem one-sided: enthusiastic or culturally pessimistic. What makes “Born Digital” so compelling is that it includes a variety of topics relevant to youth and digital media, and the authors discuss them in a balanced and academically informed yet comprehensible way: for example identities, privacy, cyberbullying, learning, creativity, and activism.
3 people found this helpful
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