International Digital Studies: A Research Approaches for Examining International Online Interactions

Abstract

The constant diffusion of online communication technology increasingly allows individuals from different cultural backgrounds to communicate with each other directly and quickly. In its removal of more traditional communication obstacles, such as distance and time, these technologies may amplify cultural rhetorical differences. This situation might be particularly problematic as factors of both culture and media could confound the overall discourse situation. This chapter overviews a research approach—international digital studies—that offers a new method for exploring international online interactions (IOIs). The chapter also presents an argument for why it is crucial to begin studies of IOIs at this particular point in history.