It is easy to get lost in the social media world. It is simple to get side-tracked, distracted, hijacked and marooned. It is also easy to simply buy out of the madding crowd. Yet that will soon no longer be an option. Too much of our privileged lives are wrapped up in Tweeting, Pinstering, FaceBooking and more social tools are emerging everyday. So to help us understand the shifting media landscapes Michael Mandiberg, an Associate Professor of Media Culture at the CUNY Graduate Center, has compiled and edited The Social Media Reader, packed with scholarly essays (in a real ink on paper book) covering the themes of “Mechanisms,” “Sociability,” “Humor,” “Money,” “Law,” and “labor.” I think many of you will find the essay on “Participating in the Always-On Lifestyle,” enlightening (or depressing). The author, Danah Boyd, notes regarding being always-on “It’s not just about instant gratification either.” Oh yeah, right.