Implications of Living in a Digital World
Living in digitial world
Living in the digital world comes with social, political, and economic implications to society, some of which presents threats and benefit to us all. Social media has helped transform the world into a global village with instant interactions with people worldwide. These benefits that have come with the digitalization of the economy have also attracted challenges such as the risk of privacy loss in online platforms, increased risk of online fraud through hacking, children’s exposure to pornographic material, and increased risk of spying. Learning about the digital society has increased my interest in many areas. In this blog, let’s evaluate the implication of living in the digital world by examining information availability, its impact on communication, and ethical issues emerging from the digital age.
What Impact Has Digital Age Has on Communication/ social systems
Social media influences our to-today interactions with others in both positive and negative ways. While a family would have one-on-one conversations in the past, the modern setup has everyone glued to their gadgets, and barely enough time is left for one-on-one conversations. According to an article by Forbes, the availability of technology, such as online 3D Gaming, allows users to simulate real-world experiences with other individuals from their location. For children and some adults, online Gaming has caused addiction affecting their engagement with other peers. We slowly let social media control what we talk about, even during direct conversations. We find ourselves discussing trending issues, and anyone not updated on the recent online news is regarded as backward.
Fig 1 Showing 3D Gaming
Source: Forbes
Despite what critics of digital technology argue, we must recognize the vast communication benefits of living in the digital world. The use of social media allows one to network with multiple users allowing for maintaining links to friends and family members who are far. Due to global economic challenges, families increasingly become separated as parents seek employment in different regions. The digital world allows such family members to connect through video calls allowing family connections to be maintained. Imagine the case of migrant workers in other parts of the world whose only link to their families and friends is through the Internet.
Impact of Information Availability in the Digital World
The Internet contains vast information that is freely available to users. The availability of information has tremendous implications for citizens and scholars in the digital age, as one has to differentiate between fake news and real. For instance, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine presented vast amounts of online conversation regarding the availability and spread of phony information online. One must have the digital skills to differentiate between fake and real news, as such propaganda mechanisms can quickly impact society.
Figure 2 below illustrates how information available through social media could be used to influence society in the digital age. The image was shared on social media during the early days of the Ukraine-Russia and claimed that the crying girl in the photo was the daughter of President Zelensky freeing. The social media posts also indicated that the daughter was angry with her father for ongoing conflict. The image is one example of how using fake news in the 21st century could easily cause chaos and affect social and political systems. The image was intended to depict the Ukrainian president as the antagonist who his family members were abandoning. Learners and citizens should therefore be aware of the existence of fake news and thus exercise caution before sharing information online, as the legal implication of such actions could be severe for them.
Fig 2: Fake Image Used for Propaganda
Source: DW
Ethical Issues in the Digital Age
The digital age presents some ethical concerns, such as the increase in pornography materials accessible to even children, cyberbullying made possible by social media, and privacy concerns due to hacking. Parents in the digital world increasingly worry about their children’s exposure to pornographic materials. According to an article by The Guardian, online platforms provide children access to pornographic material, corrupting their moral and ethical standards from an early age. The increase in demand for pornographic material results in children being exposed to increased threats of trafficking to create pornographic materials.
Fig 3 Showing Children’s Access to Pornography Online
Source: The Guardian
Online bullying has become a new trend in the digital age.
Children are targeted through online platforms resulting in severe mental problems them. Bullying takes many forms, such as the capture of private images and videos shared online and used to humiliate users. When such information is shared across the Internet, it may be used to ransom the affected individuals before sharing it online. With the increasing use of AI in video and image manipulation, false images and videos could be shared online, resulting in the bullying of children and adults. It is highly likely that you have come across the widely popular adage, “The internet never forgets.” Any material posted online could easily be retrieved even when deleted and used for bullying by cyber criminals. For those who are fans of movies, the film 13 Reasons Why depicts the severe risk of cyberbullying, mainly when applied to children in high school. In the film, a teenage girl, Hannah Backer, commits suicide following a series of cyberbullying.
Source: pew research
Cyber insecurity threats, such as the hacking of personal cell phones, hospital databases, and national security threats, have risen in the digital age.
Cyber security threats, such as hacking personal cell phones and hospital databases, and national security threats have risen in the digital age.
According to an article by BBC News, hacking personal cell forms has resulted in panic among UK cell phone users. Many people were forced to pay ransom to avoid sharing their information online or critical information being permanently deleted. Hospitals have also suffered the threat of cyber-attacks, with ransom money being paid to hackers to guarantee the protection of sensitive information about patients and hospital affairs. Hacking on critical infrastructure points such as the power grid and security networks, such as the recent release of classified information relating to the Russia-Ukraine conference, threatens national security.
Indeed, the digital society has had severe impacts on society, both positive and negative. The digital age presents multiple benefits such as online Gaming, social media offering interaction with friends, video conferencing, and many other benefits. Also, some negative implications include the threats such as online bullying, cyber insecurity, and child pornography, among others.
SELF REFLECTION
Exploring digital societies was an exciting endeavor as it enabled me to understand the global changes in communities and the effects of such changes. The simplicity of the issues enabled me to relate my life experiences with the digital transition in the world, further increasing my understanding of the context. For instance, looking at social media usage and its implication on communication enabled me to relate with my own family on how social media has influenced society. While people would stay together as a family and interact one-on-one during meals and other family interaction sessions, social media has affected the traditional social networks in a family setup. Looking at the various concepts in digital society has made me see the transition within society and the impact such change could have on the role of family communications in building moral and ethical codes.
Social media usage is an essential aspect of a digital society that has also helped me understand the significance of digital literacy in keeping one updated in the digital world. Prior to understanding digital society concepts, such as the importance of digital literacy, I was skeptical about social media and online platforms as I didn’t fully recognize their significance in building society. I tended to concentrate on the online threats that social media presented, which made me unable to appreciate the great benefits that social media has created in the world. For instance, I was able to learn how I could use social media campaigns to liaise with other people who share my interests in environmental conservation and together create an online movement that could influence policy changes in environmental conservation.
Change in communication style is another aspect of the digital society that has enabled me to improve my communication skills by creating online platforms. Looking at the various forms of reaching out to others online has challenged me to better my communication skills in developing messages for online individuals. Such skills are essential in making the message clear and understandable to the target audience. Effective communication of the message to the audience ensures intended response is made. Additionally, learning about online bullying enabled me to understand how I could take part in safeguarding society from such social ills. For instance, a social media campaign about children’s online bullying has to be tailored to a language that children will connect with. In developing such a message, I have improved my communication skills in making written, audio, and videotaped messages to online users.
In conclusion, the concept of digital society has helped me improve the skills needed to live in the digital age, such as communication, recognition of social media’s benefits and threats, and understanding how communication has influenced society. The concept of the digital age has made me a better person, aware of both the benefits and threats posed by the digital age, and also have the skills to improve society. The digital age has greatly influenced society, and learning about digital transformation and its impact on the world has enlightened me about the need for digital literacy.
