The Implications of Living in a Digital World on Social Interactions
Nowadays, we live in a digital world given the constantly increasing production and usage of technology. Humans are, by nature, social beings so it is understandable that our use of technology has transformed the landscape of social interaction and engagement, changing how we form and develop relationships with other individuals. With the prevalence of the internet and permanence of mobile phones, the Internet has become a country of sorts and we are its citizens. As its inhabitants we have a responsibility when it comes to engaging online with others just like when we look left and right before we cross the road.
The Digitisation of Relationships
In the Digital Society course topic ‘Digital Engagement’, the instructor highlights the differences and similarities between the two types of communication, digital and analogue. Digital forms of communication are more popular as digital platforms have revolutionised the way people communicate through avenues such as instant messaging, video calling and social media interactions. For example, the instant messaging app, Whatsapp, hit two billion monthly active users in February 2022. It was found during a survey of smartphone users conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 in ten markets worldwide that five in ten people used Whatsapp. Seeing this statistics puts into perspective how mainstream instant messaging is, especially since it’s convenient and facilitates connections across vast distances.
However, digital messaging can also lead to a reduction in face-to-face interactions which could affect the quality of relationships. This is seen in a report by Pernod Picard where researchers found six in ten adults revealed they’ve spent less time with their friends physically since the world became more digital. Not only is physical interaction lessened, an individual is also unable to properly convey their tone online as one would in a face-to-face conversation, although the addition of emojis and gifs have alleviated that problem. This tone issue has even led to the creation of internet colloquialisms such as ROFL (Rolling On the Floor Laughing) or SMH (Shaking My Head) to express motions that mirror their reaction but it remains a conscious issue when it comes to communicating over digital technology especially social media.
Online Communities and Echo Chambers
Online social interactions are mostly performed in spaces made for them- social networking platforms, they influence how individuals present themselves in public and in private (because our phones are with us 24/7), share information, and interact with others. With the rise of social media, the formation of online communities have been facilitated. These communities, based on shared interests, beliefs, or identities, satisfy that human desire to belong and provide support networks. A 2015 Pew Research Center study found that 64% of teens have found a friend online through social media. This illustrates the importance of social media on social relationships. However, it can be argued that these communities could create echo chambers because members share common interests and opinions. The reinforcement of biases or ignorant opinions created by these echo chambers is known as confirmation bias. A 2019 study by Brugnoli et al explored the effects of confirmation bias and their findings showed that opposing users reinforce their preexisting beliefs by utilising the activity of their like-minded neighbours. Having echo chambers online, whether positive or negative, has impacted the spread of information and even how we react to political issues.
Ethics of Data Collection
With the influence of online behaviour on real-world events rising, digital etiquette has been introduced to govern social interactions. Here are some basic ‘netiquette’ rules. These recommended regulations have started discussions concerning privacy, online harassment, and digital citizenship. One of the most prevalent issues is that of privacy which invites ethical challenges. Social media thrives on the collection and dissemination of their users’ personal information, this raises questions of how and what the data is being used for. There have been speculations that data such as public posts on social media is being sold to companies who target their unique consumer who has interests aligned with their products. This conjecture is the reasoning as to why you receive specific ads that weirdly match up with what you were talking about to a friend the day before. The fear behind personal data collection was seen most recently when women in the US started deleting period tracking apps due to the overturning of Roe v Wade decision by the Supreme Court. In that context, the lack of data privacy is dangerous as someone’s information could be used against them in a criminal case concerning abortion.
AI and Social Interactions
As technology has further developed, the AI program has come along and is now being used in almost everything from research to creating art. In the social media world, AI is mainly used for algorithmic regulation and chatbots. AI curates what users see on their personalised homepage by accounting for the content they like, accounts they follow, etc. This promotes efficiency as it delivers the relevant content a user desires. Basically, AI aids in the enhancement of the consumer experience as it aims to solve customer issues and answer queries in its chatbot form. For Snapchat, AI goes beyond this function and even acts as a virtual friend. This CNN report highlights the disturbing realities of Snapchat’s AI. In addition to this, the frequency of successful catfishing scams are likely to increase with AI as perpetrators can make use of deepfake technology and the language learning models such as ChatGPT to target more victims efficiently and effectively. This article elaborates on the issue of AI being used in catfishing scams. This article illustrates how much society seems to be getting closer to a Black Mirror episode.
Conclusion
Overall, this transformation of our social interactions by technology has created new avenues for communication and experience sharing that come with harmful side effects. It falls on us, as digital citizens, to be responsible in how we traverse this landscape by having good digital etiquette and scrutinising online information. Ultimately, our social interactions should be balanced between the digital and analogue, each offsetting the issues of the other.
Self Reflection
Studying this course involved a lot of first times. This was my first time using the writing platform of Medium, learning to reference images in articles and even writing in the blog post format. As an English Literature student, it was really fun to have a creative outlet that wasn’t just academically writing about books and allowed me to research and apply the concept of a digital society and technological advancements to my interests and hobbies. My understanding of what a digital society was very limited to just social media as I hadn’t even considered AI as a part of the digital society or even the concept of smart cities beyond contactless payments. I’m glad this course opened my eyes to these ideas and helped comprehend their implications.At first, upon seeing this course was completely online, I was under the assumption it would be very simple but it actually tackles complex ideas about modern society and presents them in a fun way.
It was my burgeoning interest in the social media marketing pathway that led me to this course and it didn’t disappoint as I became more aware of the implications of anything to do with the internet such as how we engage with each other, how we can critically analyse what we see on the internet and even how societal aspects are being developed because of technological evolution. In learning these things, I have gained a sense of responsibility and understanding in how I carry myself on the Internet.
I especially liked the first assessment (Digisoc1) because I was able to research about the marketing strategies one of my favourite brands implemented to increase customer satisfaction and attract more attention to their products. It was very refreshing to do that assessment because it was an opportunity to become more familiar with social media marketing terminology and customer relationship management.
Going forward from studying this course, my critical analysis and research skills have definitely been improved upon. I am hopeful that I’ll be able to use my knowledge from this course in my future English Literature essays and in pursuing a career in social media marketing as it helped me with my copywriting skills, the art of writing for an audience. Furthermore, as a member of a chronically online generation, I am glad to be knowledgeable about the digital landscape I am a member of. This course has been enlightening and I hope other students on this course found it lovely as well!
