Over the last several years, a great deal has been written about the effects of computers on human communication. Journalists have made it the focus of their human interest stories, critics have cited it as the root cause of declines in society, and scholars have examined its effects on everything from the way we think to the way we relate to others. In order to establish some sense of coherence in addressing this body of information, the authors have organized this book into three general sections with 10 more specifically themed chapters. Part I serves as an introduction to both the technologies of the Internet Age and their social implications. Part II considers the issues of online identity, taking into account how people construct presentations of self within a social environment. Part III addresses issues of how the Internet has affected our culture and how people have responded to those changes with critiques. In addition to the content of the chapters themselves, three special components of Online Communication merit special attention: Hyperlinks–In the text, the reader will find material that has been set apart from the text in a stylized box. These hyperlinks present information and indicate topics related to, but not explored in as much depth as those themes addressed in each chapter. Ethical Inquirey–Set off in separate boxes in each chapter are questions about the nature of human communication and conduct online. Online Communication and the Law–deals with the legal ramifications of the issues raised in this text.