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Deconstructing the New Body Politic (Reconstruction Through Re-Embodiment)

Robert MacDougall

American Behavioral Scientist2026https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642251403314article
AJG 1ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

‘Smart’ mobile communication technologies have ushered in new patterns of human-machine enmeshment that fundamentally alter the way people perceive, remember, think, communicate, act, and play. Over the past 2 decades, especially, these algorithmically enabled devices have diffused into human culture at an unprecedented pace and scale. Any so-equipped person can attest to the powerful effects such technological relation entails. However, tweens and teens today are particularly susceptible to these alterations given the largely unconscious nature of their enmeshment. The article begins with an important piece of techno-cultural history that frames the current state of affairs, then details a thematic sampling of data drawn from a multi-year ethnographic inquiry into the relationships these young people develop with their favorite machines. The article concludes with some practical suggestions, including structured interventions that can help address various cognitive and corporeal imbalances incurred through a smartphone-mediated life as the 2026 mid-terms and 2028 general election come into view for this consequential segment of the population.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642251403314

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@article{robert2026,
  title        = {{Deconstructing the New Body Politic (Reconstruction Through Re-Embodiment)}},
  author       = {Robert MacDougall},
  journal      = {American Behavioral Scientist},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642251403314},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.