There are now over three billion Internet users on our planet. The connections afforded to all of those people, in theory, allow for an unprecedented amount of communication and public participation. The goal of this paper is to examine how those potentials match up to actual patterns of...

In recent years, the Middle East’s information and communication landscape has changed dramatically. Increasingly, states, businesses, and citizens are capitalising on the opportunities offered by new technologies, the fast pace of digitisation, and enhanced connectivity. These changes are far...

Adland in the MENA region : from traditional to digital -- Engaging consumers : on new advertising trends and practices -- Advertising humor in the MENA region -- Advertising to consumers in a religious season -- Advertising to women in the MENA region -- Online advertising as a revenue stream...

The presentation of online information is dominated by single ranked lists. These lists tend to be sorted by increasingly invisible algorithms (often employing personalization features). Instead of alphabetical or chronological order, information providers use the logic of machine learning to...

This paper reports on an analysis of original data from a cross-national survey in 17 countries of couples and their social relationships. The survey focused on cohabiting couples, who have the Internet at home. Each member of each couple was asked how they met their partners, what dating...

Social Network Sites (SNS) are a part of everyday social activity for millions around the world (boyd and Ellison, 2007). Sites vary in their affordances, audiences and scope. While some sites cater to specific interest group audiences and 'niche' networks, others, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and...

Wellman's networked individualism suggests a social shift from group-oriented interactions to more person-to-person contact. He contends that this shift is associated with a rise in person-to-person media and individually tailored use of such media. I analyze this claim using data collected by...

Research in computer-mediated communication has consistently asserted that Facebook use is positively correlated with social capital. This research has drawn primarily on Williams’ (2006) bridging and bonding scales as well as behavioral attributes such as civic engagement. Yet, as social...

This chapter presents on overview of social networks at a variety of scales that are accessible online. It begins with basic definitions of network analysis terms such as one-mode and multiplex networks. It continues by elaborating on sources of network data online. It shows a simple example of...