Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age

Electronic communication now keeps us connected, wired, and cabled to the entire world. Why, then, do we often feel displaced and increasingly isolated in the global village? Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age seeks to answer the question: have media and technology created a social gap, eroding our sense of community? Author Michael Bugeja tackles this question by taking a broad and interdisciplinary approach, incorporating a number of different viewpoints, including global, ethical, philosophical, corporate, pop cultural, and sociological perspectives. Bugeja analyzes the "interpersonal divide"--the void that develops between people when we spend too much time in virtual rather than in real communities--and makes a case for face-to-face communication in a technological world. He traces media history to show how other generations have coped with similar problems during periods of great technological change, recommending ways to "repatriate to the village."
Interpersonal Divide, a ground-breaking book, documents how long-standing media theories--including ones by Marshall McLuhan--may no longer hold in the wake of new media and intrusive technology. Bugeja investigates the impact and motives of media ecosystems that have polluted the Internet and other digital devices with marketing ploys, delivering to consumers a global mall rather than a global village. Interpersonal Divide informs readers how to use media and technology wisely so that they enhance rather than replace community.

Michael Bugeja is at Iowa State University of Science and Technology.