„Growing up on Facebook is an insightful analysis of how the pioneers of social media live, curate and contest Facebook. This book exposes their engagement with networked publics, involving curated acts of presence and absence, connection and disconnection to archive the changing shape of young adulthood. With young people’s reflections at the centre of their analysis, Brady Robards and Siân Lincoln’s book sets new agendas for the study of social media and new questions for those interested in young people’s lives.“ —Johanna Wyn, Redmond Barry Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Youth Research Centre, The University of Melbourne
„Unlike generations which grew up with TV, radio, and movies, to grow up on Facebook means that one’s life is sustained and somewhat enabled by a medium. This engaging book reveals what happens to human development as it is enveloped in the architecture of platforms. Brady Robards and Siân Lincoln offer remarkable insights on life, love and maintaining a sense of self while growing up, on Facebook and off.“ —Zizi Papacharissi, Professor and Head of Communication, University of Illinois at Chicago
„A deeply nuanced look at the impacts of popular social media technologies. In a media environment dominated by breaking news and hot takes, Growing up on Facebook takes a serious examination of the longer-term effects of social media, looking at how young people’s identities and relationships are constructed through and with the platform. Drawing from cutting-edge media theory and rich empirical data, the stories told by Siân Lincoln and Brady Robards reveal how we grapple with a platform that archives our most personal digital interactions.“ —Alice E. Marwick, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication & Principal Researcher, Center for Information, Technology and Public Life, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
The book will appeal to both academic and general audiences alike. Students and scholars in media and communications, the sociology of youth, and beyond, will find strong connections to the literature and acknowledgement of the methodological detail of the study the book is based on. The themes and issues covered in the book are also of broader interest, and will appeal to people who have themselves grown up in the era of social media, to parents, educators, anyone interested in how we look back at social media as a personal memory archive.
