Culture of the Internet.

Edited by Sara Kiesler. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997, 463 pp. Paper, $49.95.

Thirty-nine academics--social psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists--contributed to this thoughtful collection of essays and research reports on electronic communication. Given when the 19 chapters were written, their perspectives about the human side of the Internet express an early to mid-90s vantage point. A few themes permeate this widely ranging book: how the Internet enables people to more efficiently accomplish various tasks and transforms their social roles, political controversies involving open versus regulated access, the changes that electronic communications have brought about within institutions and to governments, and the plethora of opportunities to collect data on how individuals, groups, and organizations communicate and their limitations.

The book is comprised of the following six sections, each of which abounds with tables, graphs, and charts: I) The Net As It Was And Might Become, II) Electronic Groups, III) Power And Influence, IV) Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, V) Networked Organizations, and VI) Differences In Access And Usage. The subjects of the chapters vary so widely--for instance, toppling of a government to remaking of library systems--that the book mocks my descriptive capacities.

Of interest to sexuality researchers, only the first section deals with sexual matters. In "Atheism, Sex, and Databases," Sproull and Faraj from the Boston University School of Management describe well the Net as a social technology that allows people to affiliate and create a personal sense of community from any place in the world, with little inconvenience, while being relatively invisible. This point is emphasized in many other chapters as well. Among the many informational and entertainment groups briefly discussed are those devoted to sex. They are described as extremely popular. Unfortunately, the authors then say no more about sex.

In "Pornography in Cyberspace," Mehta and Plaza discuss their study of 150 jpeg and gif images from 17 newsgroups (out of approximately 15,000) performed on April 18, 1994. They review the arguments for and against pornography in the public domain. They assume that most users who post images in newsgroups are somewhat technical, well-educated, high-income Caucasian men between 20 and 40 years of age. Most of the images that they post are taken from commercial sources, which cater to the sexual tastes of such men but are more apt to be aware of the relevant laws in the U.S. and Canada. The analysis revealed that there was more fellatio, male homosexual behavior, and group sex on the Internet than was found in previous studies of the content of sexually explicit magazines and videos. These authors found that 15% of the images suggested the presence of children or teenagers (who were often made to look like children through alteration of images). Commercial producers, presumably to attract more paying customers, tended to display more explicit images, more young subjects, and more use of dildos.

The editor's team from Carnegie Mellon University audited the Internet use of 150 individuals in 50 Pittsburgh families--"ordinary people" as the authors characterized them. The sample was far less interested in erotica than the researchers expected. Nearly half of those who accessed such sites did so only once or twice in one year. About a quarter of the sample looked at erotica more often; even so, they used other newsgroups far more often. The erotic samplers included three-quarters of teenage boys, about half of teenage girls, a third of men, and one-fifth of women.

Binik and colleagues at McGill University explored the use of the computer as a therapist. They define the strengths, limitations, and opportunities for creating a therapeutic alliance with a computer program. They provide an excellent literature review and then discuss their work developing a computerized system ("Sexpert") to interview, assess, counsel, and provide therapy to couples with sexual dysfunction. They demonstrate a verbatim interaction of Sexpert questioning a couple about their sexual initiations. Even though couples found the computer to be intelligent and engaging, they preferred a human therapist. The authors were intrigued by the demonstration that people disclose more "pathology" to the computer than to a human. Also, their graduate students liked to read the dialogues between Sexpert and patients; it felt helpful in preparing to be with their own patients. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the treatment of phobias through virtual reality (e.g., exposure to a snake on a computer). Binik et al. are thorough, imaginative, and optimistic; they think computer therapists are coming in the near future.

The sexual content of Culture of the Internet is not the most important aspect of the book. This volume's vitality derives from the breadth of descriptions of this amazing aspect of modern life. Given the wide-ranging content, it is easier to read a little at a time. The book contains much material that may be useful for those who teach at a college or graduate school level. It makes no pretense to be clinically relevant. Savoring its chapters, however, adds to the appreciation of what has happened to us and why so many people spend so much time "talking" (typing) to others.

Reviewed by Stephen B. Levine, M.D., Co-director, Center for Marital and Sexual Health, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 23230 Chagrin Boulevard, #350, Beachwood, OH 44122; e-mail: [e-mail]