Peer-reviewed article

Review of Fisk's Framing Internet Safety: The Governance of Youth Online

Brent Nellis · 14 Jul 2018

Abstract

In Framing Internet Safety: The Governance of Youth Online, Nathan W. Fisk (2016) examines how the differing expectations of children, teenagers, parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, the media, businesses, and legislators have constructed online social spaces and, perhaps more importantly, the roles played by adults and children in these spaces.Fisk's research is theoretically robust, drawing upon several authors whose works are relevant to the topics of technology and social control, such as Gilles Deleuze (1992a, 1992b), Michel Foucault (1977, 1978, 1980), and Nikolas Rose (1990) to support its arguments, and its rigorous research methods include quantitative and qualitative data obtained through surveys, focus groups with both students and parents, and interviews with school officials.Throughout Framing Internet Safety, Fisk carefully examines how the conflicting practices and expectations of adults and teenagers lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities for discussing and improving children's safety.Although the book focuses on the American context, its findings are thought-provoking and should be of interest to anyone who wishes to understand how the Internet changed-or did not change-the way people socialize.