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Screens are ubiquitous today. They display information; present image worlds; are portable; connect to mobile networks; mesmerize. However, contemporary screen media also seek to eliminate the presence of the screen and the visibilities of its boundaries. As what is image becomes increasingly indistinguishable against the viewer’s actual surroundings, this unsettling prompts re-examination about not only what is the screen, but also how the screen demarcates and what it stands for in relation to our understanding of our realities in, outside and against images. Through case studies drawn from three media technologies – Virtual Reality; holograms; and light projections – this book develops new theories of the surfaces on and spaces in which images are displayed today, interrogating critical lines between art and life; virtuality and actuality; truth and lies. What we have today is not just the contestation of the real against illusion or the unreal, but the disappearance itself of difference and a gluttony of the unreal which both connect up to current politics of distorted truth values and corrupted terms of information. The Post-Screen Through Virtual Reality, Holograms and Light Projections: Where Screen Boundaries Lie is thus about not only where the image’s borders and demarcations are established, but also the screen boundary as the instrumentation of today’s intense virtualizations that do not tell the truth. In all this, a new imagination for images emerges, with a new space for cultures of presence and absence, definitions of object and representation, and understandings of dis- and re-placement – the post-screen.

An in-depth exploration of social media and emergent technology that details the inner workings of modern propaganda   Until recently, propaganda was a top-down, elite-only system of communication control used largely by state actors. Samuel Woolley argues that social media has democratized today's propaganda, allowing nearly anyone to launch a fairly sophisticated, computationally enhanced influence campaign. Woolley shows how social media, with its anonymity and capacity for automation, allows a wide variety of groups to build the illusion of popularity through computational tools (such as bots) and human-driven efforts (such as sockpuppets-real people assuming false identities online-and partisan influencers). They use these technologies and strategies to create a bandwagon effect by bringing the content into parallel discussions with other legitimate users, or to mold discontent for political purposes.   Drawing on eight years of original international ethnographic research among the people who build, combat, and experience these propaganda campaigns, Woolley presents an extensive view of the evolution of computational propaganda, offers a glimpse into the future, and suggests pragmatic responses for policy makers, academics, technologists, and others.

In this edited volume, eighteen scholars examine the increasing role of digital media technologies in identity construction through play. Going beyond computer games, this interdisciplinary collection argues that present-day play and games are not only appropriate metaphors for capturing postmodern human identities, but are in fact the means by which people create their identity. From discussions of World of Warcraft and Foursquare to digital cartographies, the combined essays form a groundbreaking volume that features the most recent insights in play and game studies, media research, and identity studies.

Marketers are adopting increasingly sophisticated ways to engage with customers throughout their journeys. We extend prior perspectives on the customer journey by introducing the role of digital signals that consumers emit throughout their activities. We argue that the ability to detect and act on consumer digital signals is a source of competitive advantage for firms. Technology enables firms to collect, interpret, and act on these signals to better manage the customer journey. While some consumers’ desire for privacy can restrict the opportunities technology provides marketers, other consumers’ desire for personalization can encourage the use of technology to inform marketing efforts. We posit that this difference in consumers’ willingness to emit observable signals may hinge on the strength of their relationship with the firm. We next discuss factors that may shift consumer preferences and consequently affect the technology-enabled opportunities available to firms. We conclude with a research agenda that focuses on consumers, firms, and regulators.

While rapid digitalization has helped society cope with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, will it bring health equity to the digitally disadvantaged? Limited studies have explored how individuals' digital activities may impact their psychological well-being during the pandemic and whether these effects vary across different sociodemographic groups. This study aims to examine how individuals' digital activities influence their psychological well-being and whether socioeconomic status moderates the relationship between digitalization and mental health. This study was based on a sample of 2170 residents surveyed in Hubei, the early epicenter of the pandemic in China, between March 23 and April 9, 2020. We first examined the main effects of online behavior and community e-group involvement on psychological distress. Then, we used ordinary least squares regression models to analyze the 2-way interaction effects between internet usage and socioeconomic status (SES) variables-education, occupation, monthly income, and urban/rural residence-on psychological distress. First, the data reveal a pattern of digital divide during the pandemic. Participants with higher SES showed a greater propensity to use the internet for work and study purposes, as well as to engage in electronic groups (e-groups), compared with those with lower SES. By contrast, lower-SES respondents were more inclined to participate in entertainment and information-seeking activities than their higher-SES counterparts. Second, the data reveal the emergence of a third level of digital divide concerning psychological well-being. Specifically, the impact of online entertainment and communication activities on mental well-being varies based on employment status (b=-1.024, P=.03) and rural versus urban residence (b=-1.244, P=.046). These findings suggest that online entertainment and communication may have a more pronounced effect in reducing distress among individuals with lower SES than those with higher SES. Third, we observed a significant interaction between participation in community e-groups and rural versus urban areas (b=2.388, P=.047). This suggests that the impact of joining virtual communities on psychological distress is less pronounced among rural residents compared with their urban counterparts. The study illustrates how digital activities affect mental distress, providing evidence of the third-level digital divide in psychological well-being. First, the impact of digital activities on mental distress varied according to the type of internet usage. Second, online activities offered greater psychological benefits to individuals in lower social positions compared with those with higher social status. Third, digital inclusion in community e-groups helped alleviate psychological distress, but \"digitalized social capital\" provided more significant benefits to urban residents than to rural residents. These results highlight how the digital divide affects health inequalities and underscore the need for a more nuanced understanding of information and communications technology policies and their impacts in the post-COVID-19 world.

Background Little is known about whether digital competence is related to psychological wellbeing, with most previous research focusing on students and elderly people. There is also limited evidence on seasonal changes in psychological wellbeing, particularly in specific groups. Social housing residents are an underserved and under-researched population. The objectives of this study were to explore associations between digital competence (assessed by general technology self-efficacy) and psychological wellbeing (assessed by mental wellbeing and life satisfaction), and to explore seasonal effects, in social housing residents. Methods A repeated survey design was used. The Happiness Pulse questionnaire with a bespoke digital module was sent via post or e-mail at four timepoints between July 2021 and July 2022 to 167 social housing residents in West Cornwall, England. There were 110 respondents in total; thirty completed all four questionnaires and 59 completed an autumn/winter and summer questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential methods including regression, repeated measures analysis of variance and panel analysis. Results Significant positive associations were found between digital self-efficacy and mental wellbeing, and between digital self-efficacy and life satisfaction. However, there were no significant seasonal changes in psychological wellbeing. Conclusions The findings extend the existing literature beyond student and elderly populations and suggest that improving digital competence is a potential pathway to improving psychological wellbeing. Surveys with larger samples and qualitative studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms involved.

In this edited volume, eighteen scholars examine the increasing role of digital media technologies in identity construction through play. Going beyond computer games, this interdisciplinary collection argues that present-day play and games are not only appropriate metaphors for capturing postmodern human identities, but are in fact the means by which people create their identity. From discussions of World of Warcraft and Foursquare to digital cartographies, the combined essays form a groundbreaking volume that features the most recent insights in play and game studies, media research, and identity studies.

Although artificial intelligence (AI) has many potential benefits, it has also been shown to suffer from a number of challenges for successful performance in complex real-world environments such as military operations, including brittleness, perceptual limitations, hidden biases, and lack of a model of causation important for understanding and predicting future events. These limitations mean that AI will remain inadequate for operating on its own in many complex and novel situations for the foreseeable future, and that AI will need to be carefully managed by humans to achieve their desired utility. Human-AI Teaming: State-of-the-Art and Research Needs examines the factors that are relevant to the design and implementation of AI systems with respect to human operations. This report provides an overview of the state of research on human-AI teaming to determine gaps and future research priorities and explores critical human-systems integration issues for achieving optimal performance.

Family photography is now more popular than ever thanks to technological advances which allow the storing and sharing of vast numbers of pictures. Here, case study material drawn from the UK offers a deeper understanding of both domestic family photographs and their public display. Recent work in material culture studies, geography, and anthropology is used to approach photographs as objects embedded in social practices, which produce specific social positions, relations and effects.