United By Information: How Digitalization Has Transformed Society and Everything?
Transition to the digital world and noosphere
Currently, humanity is living in the age of the 4th industrial revolution, which has changed significantly the way how people interact with each other and has literally transformed the process of socialization. The process of transition wasn’t smooth and people had to spend much developing new habits and patterns of behaviours to become integrated into the digital environment. However, now it is almost impossible to imagine our world without social media and digital technologies. One of the most interesting ideas indicating the importance of the digital world and digital environment is that currently there are far more people than can live isolated without real-life communication for days and even for a month, however it is far more difficult to find an individual who hasn’t been using a smartphone and social media for a couple of days.
This indicates that digitalization is a natural process, as humans are information-seeking and information-generating creatures. When we analyze why the transition to the digital environment was inevitable, it is needed to mention the theory of noosphere which was developed long before the internet and social media were created. According to this theory, the noosphere is the new stage of the evolution of biological life, where the human mind and information influences the development of mankind. Basically, humanity entered a new stage of evolution when social media was created, and therefore our future is directly associated with how we use the digital environment and how it influences each of us. Still the development of information technologies is too rapid, and therefore people have to learn how to leave in harmony and create a productive symbiosis with a digital environment.
Evolution meets revolution: Informational overload
While digitalization is an evolutionary process, and in general contributes to the development of humanity, it doesn’t mean that there are no problems or challenges in a digital environment. Probably the most concerning challenge is informational overload. While the abundance of information is good in general, excessive informational exposure may contribute to stress, depression, and other problems. But how can users maximize the benefits provided by the new digital environment and reduce information overload? Unfortunately, there is no universal solution available. The problem of information overload can be explained by the fact that technological progress is much more rapid than biological evolution, therefore human bodies and brains are not able to adjust to the technological changes rapidly. While biological life follows the path of evolution, what is currently happening to digital technologies looks like a revolution, as in the past 30 years there was an enormous technological leap, and with each passing year, the technological progress is accelerating.
Considering that the attention to information overload is paid even by the most credible and popular magazines, such as Forbes and HBR, it indicates that the problem is indeed significant. People should understand that they are the ones who control the information, and that information shouldn’t control them. Being an active creator of the content is better than just being a passive consumer. Hence, one of the potential solutions is to develop self-efficacy and self-control to achieve a vital balance and develop protective mechanisms against information overload.
Meta-world and metamodernism
One of the major implications of living in a digital world is a transition from postmodernism to metamodernism. There is a huge cultural and social shift happening right now. As Alex Olshonsky claims, metamodernism was born from the internet. It can be quite difficult to describe what metamodernism is, as this is a rather new concept, however, we all can feel it by living in different realities and dimensions at the same time. Our digital identities and real identities are interconnected, mixed, and constantly influence each other. At some point in technological development, our real identities will probably cease to exist, due to biological limits, and human beings will move to a digital environment, by transferring their consciousness to the global web.
It is also quite interesting that for new generations, there is probably no difference between their digital identities and real ones. Older generations learned to live in a new environment gradually, by getting used to new technologies and discovering new ways of interacting with them. However new generations have been born in a world where digital technologies have already been existing.
What’s next? Don’t resist! — Embrace it.
Globalization is reaching its peak with the development and spread of information technologies in different parts of the world. The concept of digital society is not only related to online interactions and the behaviour of people, but it’s also related to offline communication, culture, and mutual understanding. Digitalization leads to the global unification of people where lines between national cultures, traditions, and other regional aspects will be blurred and gradually replaced by global culture. With each passing year, there will be fewer and fewer differences existing between people, and more similarities. The digital world makes the real world a more peaceful and comfortable place for everyone.
While many people are still afraid of digital technologies, and there is even a movement of so-called neo-Luddites who voluntarily stop using technologies, it is needed to understand that digitalization can’t be stopped. People have always been afraid of changes, and therefore there will always be a huge number of conservatives and others who resist technological development. However, the transition to digital society is like an avalanche and it can’t be stopped. The resistance is meaningless and one of the most interesting things is that sooner or later every person will become a member of digital society, even without using the internet. But how can this happen? The answer is easy, even without using the internet people are still communicating with active internet users, which inevitably leads to an exchange of information, and meanings created in the online environment. No one can escape this, and there is no place to hide. It is wrong to divide digital society and real-life society, there are no barriers and limits anymore.
Self-Reflection
This course was exceptionally meaningful and interesting for me, as I’ve always been attracted to the concepts of transhumanism and the digital revolution. As a passive observer, and an active participator it is very important for me to understand how digital society functions, as well as the various implications associated with it. Modern times are probably the most important and the most interesting once in the history of humanity, as we are moving to something new and unique that has never existed before. The invention of the internet and the development of social media and technologies allowing to exchange of information rapidly can be probably compared to the discovery of electricity. Currently, we are still in the relatively early stage of technological development, however, our society has already become digitalized to a large extent. The digital world is gradually penetrating our reality which is extremely interesting to observe.
This module was also useful for helping me to understand various potential threats associated with being a digital citizen. One of the main differences between digital society and the real world is the lack of regulations in a digital environment. Certain things which are completely unacceptable in real-life are still normal in a digital environment. I think that people should treat both the real and digital world in the same way, and use similar rules and ethics while interacting with each other. The rules in the real and digital worlds are almost similar, and the best solution to be protected from fake news, hacking, and other issues is to be aware and use critical thinking. People should understand that their actions in a digital environment are as real as their actions in the real world. Though personally, I’m trying to be aware while using social media, this module has increased my awareness and made me think about digital society from a philosophical perspective.
One of the most important contributions of the module is an increase in my awareness of how I use the digital environment and how much time I spend online. I realized that sometimes the informational overload contributes to my information fatigue, and therefore currently I’m working on using my time more rationally and effectively, by reducing exposure to unnecessary information and trying to consume only information contributing to my personal development and growth. Now I know about potential risks and dangers as well as about the concept of information hygiene, so I can become a better digital citizen.
I’d also like to emphasize that it still amazes me that certain things that were unimaginable a couple of decades ago are perceived as something usual nowadays. No one could imagine that the internet could influence the process of elections before, or be used to organize protests and accelerate democratization in developing countries. Digital society directly influences the geopolitical processes in the modern world and defines our future. While many people are still concerned regarding the threats associated with the digitalization of social interactions, I’m fascinated with what is happening now, and it is like living in a dream.
