By Brian Smith
Here's an interesting paper by Lorraine Kisselburgh, posted on a blog maintained by Sorin Adam Matei, Assistant Professor of Communication, Department of Communication, Purdue University.
Opening paragraph:
New media and emerging technologies continue to change not only our communication (Gunn, 2006; Jones, 2006), but also our relationships, our work, and our communities (Contractor, 2006; Walther, 2006). At the same time, our societies and organizations – i.e. the bodies within which we interact (our interactive vehicles) – have changed dramatically in the last century, becoming more global, more mobile, and more reliant upon use of technology. How these factors interact and influence one another, as well as our sense of belonging to a community, is the focus of this paper.
The
I Think blog has a number of other very interesting links and resources related to social isolation and networks, belonging, technology and communications. This seems to be a great, albeit academic, resource for emerging social technology.
Landscape of Literacy and Disability (Canadian Abilities Foundation publication) by Ezra Zubrow, et al. 
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Thanks for the note. The paper was, however, authored by one of my graduate students, Lorraine Kisselburgh, a member of my seminar, Perspectives on Communication Technologies. We will add her name to the paper shortly.
Your blog looks very interesting, it's very rich in information. As someone who does quite a bit of research in this arena I am really impressed by your contributions. Keep up the good work.