From the Sociology of the Internet to Digital Sociology: An Overview

The roles of internet communication technologies (ICTs) have evolved in our lives, their impacts on social relations and society overall. So, too, the sociological approach to studying them has evolved.

Digital sociology now considers the variety of ICT devices we use in our lives, how we use them and the implications these technologies have for social life and society.

Since 2012, a handful of sociologists have focused on defining the subfield of digital sociology. The subfield became formalised in the UK when the British Sociological Association members created a new study group designed to develop a set of best practices for digital sociology.

In the U.S., there is no formalised organisation around the subfield, but many sociologists have turned to the digital in research focus and methods. They can be found among research groups, including the American Sociological Association's sections on Communication, Information Technologies, and Media Sociology.

• The impact of ICTs on social relationships. For example, the role that social media plays in teen friendships today, rules of etiquette.
• How ICTs are a part of the processes of crafting and expressing identity.
• The impact of ICTs and social media on political expression, activism, and campaigning.
• The role and impact of ICTs and the web in processes of building group affiliation and community, particularly among marginalized groups.