Technobohemians or the New Cybertariat? New Media Work in Amsterdam a Decade after the Web

Accounts of new media working conditions draw heavily on two polarized stereotypes, veering from techno-utopianism on the one hand, to a vision of web-workers as the new ‘precariat’, victims of neo-liberal economic policies on the other. Heralded from both perspectives as representing the brave new world of work, what is striking is the absence of research on new media workers’ own experiences, particularly in a European context. This research goes beyond contemporary myths to explore how people working in the field experience the pleasures, pressures and challenges of working on the web. The research is based on 35 interviews carried out in Amsterdam in 2005, and contextually draws upon a further 60 interviews with web designers in London and Brighton. The interviews were conducted by Danielle van Diemen and Rosalind Gill.

Format: Book