The Digital Age — A change we have chosen to accept or one we are made to accept?
Coming of a Digital Age
The development of the internet and surrounding digital innovation has undoubtedly formulated a digital society in which everyone is more interconnected than ever — on a completely global scale. All aspects of our day to day lives now involve some form of digitalisation, whether that be checking our emails in the morning or turning on our smart bulbs as part of the the growing trend of ‘Smart Homes’.
‘Digitalisation’ has rapidly gained major traction in the recent years, particularly due to the Covid 19 Pandemic and the Lockdowns caused as a result. More and more people have learned to adapt to a more digital means of work and interaction.
A s a result of the pandemic and digital advances the majority of our social interactions (more than ever) are now conducted online. This new mode of interaction and work can be seen as both beneficial but also can come with its flaws. People began to work more remotely over lockdown and this has now very much become a norm post-lockdown. many consider remote learning and working an apparent advantage as it allows for more productivity, better focus and less stress. On a survey carried out by OWLLabs it was seen that in the majority of leading industries remote working far outweighed the amount of people working on-site, with 62% working from home. The benefits of remote work extend out to the employers also, as mentioned by Ruben Sutton in his post that there are
“Major economic cost reductions with not having to pay for company cars, business meetings, etc.”
Although some have been quick to argue that working remotely can on the long term take an effect on the individuals mental health with less physical interaction and no daily commute.
I believe, that striking a balance between hybrid forms of work is the way forward as it allows individuals to work at their convenience and also save time that may otherwise be spent on commuting etc… and this time can be devoted to things like family or extra-curricular activities/hobbies.
‘Living in a Digital World’
Digital Footprint:
The implication of an ever growing digital society is that everyone within it now has “the existence of a digital record of our past behaviours and online interactions”. This has raised debates on various ethical grounds with regards to information being kept or deleted in the digital world.
With a sense of newfound freedom online, comes with it some drawbacks. Individuals are now able to speak their mind behind screens, leaving their digital footprint and sometimes this may not always be the nicest — the moral compass for each individual is never the same. The impact of putting something online that negatively reflects your image may be stored online forever. As a result of this, there can be a major impact an individual’s relationships with friends and family or even the prospect of employability, as employers tend to carry out ‘Social Media Checks’.
According to a 2018 Survey:
70% of employers research potential candidate’s social presence online before considering their employment.
This demonstrates how substantial an individual’s online existence within the digital world is, and just like real life it is important you adhere to the correct social standards and not leave a negative mark. Many fall victim to being sucked into social media and forgetting that they are still liable for their actions —it is important to remember being a part of the digital world is a choice and your actions reflect your choices.
Positive Implications:
Living in a Digital World has made it extremely easy for everyone to engage with each other — the world has become more interconnected that ever. This has allowed for a wide range of methods for people to speak, work and interact in general with each other.
In the growing digital age, many newly formed relationships and couples tend to first meet online. In a 2019 Stanford University Paper, it was reported that online meeting has become the most popular way for couples to be formed in relationships with a large amount of people meeting each other on digital dating platforms such as Tinder.
Some may argue that this way of forming relationships is not ‘traditional’ nor authentic due to the fact that people may fabricate their online personalities in a way which may not completely resemble their true selves — in other words may ‘Catfish’. Ultimately I believe there are pros and cons to both real life interactions and digital interactions and online safety is absolutely vital whether that be on dating sites or online in general — however, digital platforms have definitely proven to be radical in the sense that geographically the amount of people that can meet online has grown immensely.
To tackle potential catfishing issues, social media and dating sites could introduce further safeguarding measures and prohibitions to ensure individuals present themselves in the most accurate light — as some sites have already began doing, with regards to banning so called ‘filtered photographs’.
Many have accepted this change in society and have accepted this new norm of engaging with new people online for the first time, and this can be seen as the new wave forward.
Course Reflection:
A s a law student, I have very much been steered towards the more traditional methods of learning and assessment. This course unit has been a really engaging and interactive form of learning on an area which I consider to be highly relevant and ever growing due to the rapid development of digital technology and wider public acceptance.
On a survey carried out by the European Commission regarding the impact of digitalisation this can be seen statistically:
Through the consistent support from staff and extremely detailed learning material I have really grasped the vital position Digitalisation holds within our society and how it has seamlessly become a part of our everyday life. The varying topics that have been taught through a predominately online method has been a much needed refreshment in my academic career.
From making contributions on all aspects of the course to listening to the podcasts provided on the individual topics — I have been been enlightened on so many areas regarding Digital Society, ranging from ethical implications as a result of digitalisation to a more complete and elaborated explanation of the so called ‘Internet of Things’.
This novel mode of learning has not only allowed me to reflect on society around me, but has allowed me to take time for some self-reflection. I have understood how plugged in one can be and as a result having the choice of being digitalised fades — this has been evident in little things such as the steady increase on my screen time. So I have now made a conscious effort to remind my self that although being part of a digital society has many benefits and is important, it is still a choice.
Constructive Criticism
A very important takeaway from this course for me has been the method of assessment, and more importantly the way it is marked and feedback is provided. Not only this but the in depth guides on how to complete each individual assignment have been fundamental in performing to the best of my ability.
As mentioned earlier, the blog style approach to assessment has really allowed me to express my creative side and focus on people and topics that I genuinely have an interest in — which is why I believe this has been a deciding factor in my overall performance on the course.
The constructive criticism provided throughout the different assessments really has allowed me to not only become more critical in this module but in all of my modules taken this year — the transferable skills I have gathered have been vital in boosting my overall grades.
