Social theory and the internet in everyday life

Abstract

Both developed and developing countries have seen a proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in recent years. As digital transformation has influenced almost every aspect of everyday life, including interpersonal communication, information seeking and sharing, e-commerce, and entertainment, the dichotomy between online and offline has become less distinct compared to the early years of internet development. These routine practices on the internet, nevertheless, are fundamental to understanding the impact of digital technologies on society. It is, therefore, important for social scientists to theorise and scrutinise how the internet has influenced the routine and mundane lives. To date, social scientists from multiple disciplines, including sociology, political science, communication and information science, have studied how the internet has influenced the society and economy. These include the roles of the internet in establishing and maintaining social networks, mobilising social movements, and revolutionising labour markets. However, little research has addressed the impact of the internet in the everyday lives of its users. In this chapter, I will start with reviewing theoretical frameworks from different fields that focus on the impact of the internet on daily practices, to understand the profound influence of digital technologies in everyday contexts. In particular, I will discuss how the study of everyday life information seeking (information science), domestication theory (communication science), and digital divides (sociology) contribute to the theorisation of daily uses of the internet. I will summarise empirical studies that apply these theoretical frameworks in exploring the adoption and use of ICTs in daily practices. The overview and reflection of theories and empirical studies across different social science fields will provide a comprehensive picture of the role of the internet on everyday lives, as well as point out future directions for the study of the embeddedness of the internet in people’s daily lives.