This is a free newsletter about technology, media and culture. I've borrowed the title - ‘Fragments of Modernity' - from a book by David Frisby. It captures what I'm hoping to try to do. I want these to be fragments of writing about fragments of modern life. Sometimes the fragments will be quite short, other times a little longer. They might not be fully thought through or polished - they'll be snapshots and brief reflections. This will include writing on new developments, events and news stories as well as short reflections on books, podcasts or articles. I'll give brief accounts of theories, perspectives and ideas that I've encountered in my work as well as reacting to new issues in technology and media. It might also include some music, TV and book reviews. I'm hoping it will provide digestible insights into the relations between technology, media and culture.
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Background
I’m David Beer and I'm a Professor of Sociology at the University of York, UK. I write about culture, media, politics and society. Much of my work has explored how transformations in technology and media – such as social media, mobile devices and algorithms – have reshaped culture and society. For the last few years I’ve been focusing mainly upon questions around the politics of data and metrics. Alongside this I also work on the history and future of social thought. Information about my books and other writing can be found on my website.
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