42 pages • 1 hour read
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
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Book Brief
328
Book • Nonfiction
2010s
2019
Adult
16+ years
Super Short Summary
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by linguist Gretchen McCulloch explores how the internet has transformed informal communication, creating new writing and speaking styles through online texts and chats. By examining social media and internet culture, McCulloch reveals the rapid evolution of language, the roles of different internet user generations, and the impact of memes, emoji, and online slang. Some passages use swear words.
Informative
Humorous
Contemplative
Reviews & Readership
12,475 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch is lauded for its insightful analysis of internet linguistics and online communication trends. Positive reviews highlight McCulloch's engaging and accessible writing style, while some critics feel the book occasionally lacks depth in technical explanation. Overall, it offers a compelling and entertaining look at digital language evolution.
Who Should Read Because Internet?
A reader who delights in linguistics, internet culture, or the evolution of language will enjoy Gretchen McCulloch's Because Internet. Fans of John McWhorter’s Words on the Move and Steven Pinker’s The Sense of Style will find this insightful, humorous analysis of digital communication particularly engaging.
12,475 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Old Internet People
Old Internet People
The first wave of online users who were technically savvy, knowledgeable in computer code, and influential in defining netiquette and early internet slang.
Full Internet People
Full Internet People
Arriving online in the late 1990s, this young group utilized the internet as a social platform and contributed to internet lingo without needing technical expertise.
Semi Internet People
Semi Internet People
Joined the internet in the late 1990s primarily for work-related activities; they are older, with social lives mostly offline, and maintained a more traditional use of language.
Post Internet People
Post Internet People
Born into a world already connected, this is the youngest group that adapted thoroughly to the internet's ways, using it naturally from a young age for socializing.
Pre Internet People
Pre Internet People
Grew up before the internet and primarily use it for maintaining family connections and accessing resources, without feeling socially connected to it.
328
Book • Nonfiction
2010s
2019
Adult
16+ years
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