This book investigates how the intersection of history, ecology, and digital infrastructure shapes contemporary cultural anxieties. Sean Cubitt, a professor of film and media, utilizes his background in media theory to argue that the digital humanities must retain rigorous close-reading methodologies to interpret the complexities of modern streaming media and mass image databases. The text posits that our current technological condition is inextricably linked to environmental and historical contexts that require careful, critical analysis.

Scholars in media studies and the digital humanities frequently cite this work for its rigorous theoretical approach to the material conditions of digital culture. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for an audience familiar with critical theory and media philosophy.