Centre for Internet and Society

Book 1: To Be, Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?

nishant — 2015-05-15T12:08:32Z

In this first book of the Digital AlterNatives with a Cause? Collection, we concentrate on what it means to be a Digital Native. Within popular scholarship and discourse, it is presumed that digital natives are born digital. Ranging from Mark Prensky’s original conception of the identity which marked all people born after 1980 as Digital Natives to John Palfrey and Urs Gasser’s more nuanced understanding of specific young people in certain parts of the world as ‘Born Digital’, there remains a presumption that the young peoples’ relationship with technology is automatic and natural. In particular, the idea of being ‘born digital’ signifies that there are people who, at a visceral, unlearned level, respond to digital technologies. This idea of being born digital hides the complex mechanics of infrastructure, access, affordability, learning, education, language, gender, etc. that play a significant role in determining who gets to become a digital native and how s/he achieves it. In this book, we explore what it means to be a digital native in emerging information societies. The different contributions in this book posit what it means to be a digital native in different parts of the world. However, none of the contribution accepts the name ‘Digital Native’ as a given. Instead, the different authors demonstrate how there can be no one singular definition of a Digital Native. In fact, they show how, contextualised, historical, socially embedded, politically nuanced understanding of people’s interaction with technology provide a better insight into how one becomes a digital native.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/dnbook1

Book 2: To Think: Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?

nishant — 2011-09-15T14:35:43Z

We started the Digital Natives with a Cause? Knowledge programme, with a series of questions, which were drawn from popular discourse, research, practice, policy and experiences of people engaging with questions of youth, technology and change. Our ambition was to consolidate existing knowledge and to look at knowledge gaps which can be addressed in order to build new frameworks to understand the role that digital natives see themselves playing in their own understanding and vision of change. This Book 2 To Think, takes up the challenge of constructing new approaches and each essay in this book, through case-studies, analyses and divergent perspectives, offers a novel way of understanding processes of technology mediated citizen-driven change.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/dnbook2

Book 3: To Act : Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?

nishant — 2011-09-15T14:40:51Z

In Book 3 of the Digital AlterNatives with a Cause? collective, we enter into dialogue with some of the severest and most heated debates around digital natives and their ability to effect change. To Act collides with the discourse on young people’s ability and role in technology mediated processes of change, heads-on. It deliberates on some very dense questions about how digital natives execute their visions of change using new forms of mobilisation of resources and sharing/production of information.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/dnbook3

Book 4: To Connect : Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?

nishant — 2011-09-15T14:47:04Z

In Book 4, To Connect of the Digital (Alter)Natives with a Cause? series, we try to understand digital natives through their environment. Digital natives do not operate in a vacuum, their actions are shaped by the fast changing geo-political landscape, interaction with other actors and the global architecture of technology. In our Digital Natives with a Cause? research, it has become clear that at the heart of all digital natives discourse lies the question of power. Along with power, questions of race, class, gender and socio-economic situation cannot be ignored when talking about digital natives. We found that on one hand digital natives are destabilising existing power structures and challenging the status quo. On the other, the geo-political context in which digital natives live, affect their activities, beliefs and opinions. Then there are actors that can destroy, influence or support digital native activity which give rise to questions of control that resonate within this new generation

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/dnbook4

Re:wiring Bodies - Dr. Asha Achuthan

nishant — 2011-09-21T07:23:44Z

First draft of the monograph on "Rewiring Bodies" by Dr. Asha Achutan; format for Microsoft Office users

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/raw/rewiringdoc

First draft of the monograph on "Rewiring Bodies" by Dr. Asha Achutan; format for Open Office users

nishant — 2009-12-17T05:15:16Z

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/raw/rewiringodt

Rewiring Bodies - Dr. Asha Achuthan

nishant — 2009-12-17T05:19:24Z

First draft of the monograph in PDF

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/raw/rewiringpdf

arrows

nishant — 2011-09-07T17:17:30Z

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/arrows.jpg

telephones

nishant — 2008-10-06T13:33:49Z

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/blue%20telephones.jpg

Jamillah Knowles

nishant — 2009-09-15T10:27:20Z

Jamillah Knowles from BBC is to make a public presentation on User Generated Content at the Centre for Internet and Society on the 26th of September 2009, at 16:00 hours.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/Jamillah

Aerial view

nishant — 2009-09-17T11:59:44Z

An aerial shot of shanghai in the night

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/shanghai

Shanghai Bund

nishant — 2009-09-17T12:02:25Z

A night view of the Bund in Shanghai

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/Bund

Billboard in Shanghai

nishant — 2009-09-21T13:37:30Z

A large LCD screen display as a part of architecture, at the East Nanjing Road, Shanghai

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/billboard

Cute mouse

nishant — 2009-09-21T13:44:52Z

China's IT markets show an increasing trend towards 'cute' gadgets aimed at younger users of technology.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/cutegadget

Sleepover cyber cafes in Shanghai

nishant — 2009-09-21T13:58:33Z

Shanghai has introduced the popular slee-over cafes, which give space to young users of the internet from midnight till dawn, at a very cheap rate, where they can access the net and also sleep when need be. This is very reminiscent of the cardboard cities in Tokyo which offer similar safe havens of temporary internet access.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/cybercafe