Discern Social Movements in the Digital Age

Abstract

The book that was reviewed is written by Victoria Carty entitled "Social Movements and New Technology" (2018, Routledge). This book analyzes "the how" and "the why" of digital technology utilization become crucial in social movements. This book is indeed proved that the the digital technology utilization has changed the dynamics, strategy, tactics, and structure in social movements in the related era, but this book does not explain elaborately "why social movements that used the digital technology as a main resource can be successful or failed?". For that matter, this book only admits the assumption of digital technology as a tool, so it can be used for something that consider right or wrong. Whereas, I argue the digital technology is not only a tool that its functions are fully determined by the authority of users. In spite of that, this book is worthy to be read if interested to explore the topics of a social movement, new media, or political and cultural sociology.