Welcome
…to my website! I’m a sociologist, author, and Distinguished Teaching Professor at Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information, studying the impact of digital technology and media on our everyday lives, communities, connections, and selves.
I give lectures and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, including in Serbia, Switzerland, Germany, England, and Puerto Rico. I’ve written several books: three editions of Superconnected (teaching resources at superconnectedblog.com), Portable Communities, Pioneers of Public Sociology, and Connecting (on left sidebar — NOTE: If you’re viewing this on a mobile device and the sidebars are hidden, try clicking on “View Full Site” at the bottom of this page.)
I’ve written many book chapters and articles on technology and society, including this one on “What is 50 Years Spent on the Internet Worth to Humanity?” for NBC News Online and this one on “Building Relationships with Social Media” for New Jersey Business Magazine.
I’m also passionate about teaching and learning. I teach in person (above), online (see sidebar on the right), and in public spaces like conferences and media appearances (below).
I discuss my research and the Superconnected book on the podcast “ThinkWithLakshay,” the digital New Books Network, and on Magic 98.3 WMGQ’s program “@CentralJersey.”
In my spare time, I swim, hang out with family and friends, enjoy pop culture (sports, music, movies, TV), spend time at the Jersey shore, and read, preferably on the beach. But my somewhat secret passion is music-making and recording. I’m a singer and flutist and have joined with two of my best friends, Corey Dolgon and Jim Pennell, to express musically our hope for a more peaceful and just world. Our album is displayed on the bottom left, and you can listen to four of our songs on the “Music” page.
Well, there’s more, of course, but this is enough for the home page. Click around the site, check out my scholarship (teaching, research, and talks), media appearances, music, new Digital Betsy-Tacy Project, and other fun stuff, and I’ll see you online!
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