Why We Post Launches on 29 February

UCL Press is delighted to announce the publication of a major new series on the anthropology of social media, Why We Post. Based on the groundbreaking work of 9 anthropologists who each spent 15 months living in communities in China, Brazil, Turkey, Chile, India, England, Italy and Trinidad, the series explores and compares the results in a collection of ground-breaking and accessible ethnographic studies.

Studying not only platforms but also the content of social media has allowed them to gain a better understanding of not just why we post, but also the consequences of social media on our lives. Their findings indicate that social media is more than communication – it is also a place where we now live. 

The first three books in this series will be released on February 29th, and include: 

• How the World Changed Social Media
• Social Media in an English Village
• Social Media in Southeast Turkey

To sign up for more information on these, and forthcoming titles in the Why We Post series, click here. 

In addition to the books, the results of the project will be unveiled on UCL’s ‘Why We Post’ website (ucl.ac.uk/why-we-post) which will comprise more than 100 videos and 15 key findings.

The Why We Post team are also offering a free e-learning course in English on FutureLearn, at https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/anthropology-social-media/1and in seven other languages at https://extendstore.ucl.ac.uk/catalog?pagename=why-we-post.

If you've ever wondered why we post on social media, whether the rise of selfies is making us more narcissistic, or whether a factory worker in China uses these platforms in the same way as an Indian IT worker, you can find out more at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/why-we-post.