About this item

A sociologist explores the many ways that digital natives' interaction with technology has changed their relationship with people, places, jobs, and other stabilizing structures and created a new way of life that is at odds with the American Dream of past generations.Digital natives are hacking the American Dream. Young people brought up with the Internet, smartphones, and social media are quickly rendering old habits, values, behaviors, and norms a distant memory--creating the greatest generation gap in history. In this eye-opening book, digital sociologist Julie M. Albright looks at the many ways in which younger people, facilitated by technology, are coming "untethered" from traditional aspirations and ideals, and asks: What are the effects of being disconnected from traditional, stabilizing social structures like churches, marriage, political parties, and long-term employment? What does it mean to be human when one's ties to people, places, jobs, and societal institutions are weakened or broken, displaced by digital hyper-connectivity? Albright sees both positives and negatives.



About the Author

Julie M. Albright

Dr. Julie Albright is a Digital Sociologist.Her research focuses on the growing intersection of technology and the social / behavioral. She was the Co-Principal Investigator and Project Lead for the Behavioral Component of a $121 million Smart Grid Demonstration Project with LA Dept of Water and Power, the USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI) , the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) and UCLA, funded by the U.S. Dept. of Energy. She is a sought-after keynote speaker for her insights on digital transformation, and has given talks for major data center and energy conferences including SAP for Utilities, IBM Global, Data Center Dynamics, Data Center World, and the Dept. of Defense. She is also on the board of Infrastructure Masons, a professional organization comprised of executives from the top tech firms in the world. She has also been named among the Top Women in Blockchain. She frequently appears as an expert on national media including the Today Show, CNN, NBC Nightly News, CBS, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Time Magazine, NPR Radio and many others. Dr. Albright's forthcoming book on the impacts of our digital devices on society called - Left to Their Own Devices: How Digital Natives Are Reshaping the American Dream - will be published by Prometheus Books, distributed by Penguin Random House. Dr. Albright has a Masters Degree in Social and Systemic Studies from Nova SouthEastern University and a Dual Doctorate in Sociology and Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California.



Read Next Recommendation

Report incorrect product information.