Alessandro Delfanti Knihy

Amazon's despotic automation and surveillance technologies may well be its downfall

The book explores the stark contrast between Amazon's cheerful slogans and the harsh realities of its warehouse operations, characterized by digital surveillance and anti-union practices. Alessandro Delfanti examines how technological innovations, such as sensors and robotic systems, are designed to control rather than empower workers. As automation increases, so does employee discontent, leading to strikes that highlight their awareness of exploitation. Ultimately, the narrative questions the sustainability of Amazon's model in the face of growing worker resistance.

This book introduces readers to the vast and rich world of digital media. It provides a strong starting point for understanding digital media's social and political significance to our culture and the culture of others-drawing on an emergent and increasingly rich set of empirical and theoretical studies on the role and development of digital media in contemporary societies. Touching on the core points behind the discipline, the book addresses a wide range of topics, including media economics, online cooperation, open source, social media, software production, globalization, brands, marketing, the cultural industry, labor, and consumption. Presented in six sections-Media and Digital Technologies; The Information Society; Cultures and Identities; Digital Collaboration; Public Sphere and Power; Digital Economies-the book offers in-depth chapter coverage of new and old media; network infrastructure; networked economy and globalization; the history of information technologies; the evolution of networks; sociality and digital media; media and identity; collaborative media; open source and innovation; politics and democracy; social movements; surveillance and control; digital capitalism; global inequalities and development; and more