Thanks to the Telegraph, my parents think my research is damaging my health and media studies should be expelled from the university curriculum. It’s not their fault, of course, mainstream journalism is probably the best way for them to try and get to grips with this “digital world” in a context they understand. That’s why is imperative that any research relating to the digital world and/or online activities should be an accurate reflection of what is actually happening within these spaces. Of course, for as long as we have jazzy press releases, and self proclaimed social media experts/new media scholars (who don’t actually participate or even USE the tools they are actively critiquing) we’re going to have utter bullshit gracing the broadcast channels of the middle class.

It’s the same old story. Something new happens, everyone either gets excited/scared  (we want it/we don’t want to risk it) – newspapers reduce it into the lowest common denominator (FEAR!) and then those of us who are actually researching the damn thing are left having to explain to their bosses/parents/friends/colleagues that the Internet isn’t going to poison their offspring nor is it just a vat of superficial nonsense (such is life).