Introduction

Abstract

Ever since it first carried commercial traffic more than 20 years ago, the Internet has been viewed as globe-shifting, revolutionizing even such complex social phenomena as collective actions. In How the Internet Shapes Collective Actions I discuss this claim and review current empirical evidence that highlights how Internet-enabled technologies impact individuals’ action tendencies. The Introduction sets the tone of the book and illustrates the main questions that are addressed in the following chapters. Moreover, I provide a brief chapter outline highlighting three principal avenues along which the Internet shapes collective actions: a) The Internet fosters self-organized and personalized actions, b) it provides a platform for online engagement, and, finally, c) gathering information or participating in discussions on the Internet incites offline collective actions.