digital society essay

Digital Society: Its Foundation and Towards an Interdisciplinary Field

Proceedings of National Conference on Advances in Information Technology, Management, Social Sciences and Education, 2018. pp. 1-6. ISBN No.: 978-81-938040-8-7.

6 Pages Posted: 14 Jun 2019

Prantosh Paul

Raiganj University

P. S. Aithal

Poornaprajna College

Date Written: December 22, 2018

A Digital Society is an interdisciplinary research area and a kind of progressive society that has been formed as a result of adaptation as well as integration of advanced technologies into the society and culture. Among the emerging technologies and field that responsible for developing a true Digital Society is include Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Information Science and Computing and other areas viz. Business Studies, Commerce and several areas of Humanities and Social science. Digital Society is mainly dealing with the highly advanced telecommunications and wireless connectivity systems and solutions. Digital Society mainly depends on Digital Economy which is one of the emerging concept of economic development with proper support from digital tools and technologies and depends on information, knowledge and digital products. Digital Society mainly depends on different kind of stakeholders which include the society, technologies, and content. The latest name in Digital Society includes Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Human Computer Interaction and so on. There are many emerging concepts fall under the Digital Society viz. Smart Town, Smart City, Smart Villages and so many other smart and advanced services. The growing importance of technologies in the society and its interaction led to the development of the concept of Digital Society as a field of study. Many universities internationally have been started academic programs, events in this area. This paper is talking about the latest of Digital Society including its meaning and concept, stakeholders, characteristics and features. Paper also talks about the challenges of Digital Society including its academic potentiality.

Keywords: Digital Society, Digital Humanities, Information Technology, Information Science, Interdisciplinary, Advanced Society, India

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Raiganj University ( email )

Yogesh Bhawan; S/O Santi Ranjan Biswas; Ashok Pall Near Asha Cinema Hall; P.O.+ P.S. Raiganj Raiganj, West Bengal 733134 India

P. S. Aithal (Contact Author)

Poornaprajna college ( email ).

Poornaprajna Institute of Management Udupi District Karnataka India +919343348392 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.pim.ac.in

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics, related ejournals, social & political philosophy ejournal.

Subscribe to this free journal for more curated articles on this topic

Writing Technologies eJournal

Ethics ejournal, applied computing ejournal.

Subscribe to this fee journal for more curated articles on this topic

Information Systems: Behavioral & Social Methods eJournal

Communication & technology ejournal.

Digital Media and Society Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

The penetration and impact of digital media on society are hard to overestimate nowadays. Digital technology dominates over the traditional one because of being more convenient in use and because of offering a multitude of opportunities to the consumers. Due to this fact, the process of globalization accelerates, making the data more and more universal. Therefore, it can be stated that we are becoming equal in front of digital media: consuming, equally dependant and equally manipulated. This connection is especially topical in the United States, where digital technology is accessible practically for anyone. Digital media have become an egalitarian force in American society.

Every day millions of people in America face problems, needs, and questions of various natures; and all of them have a single answer. If a student needs some information for studying, they may use sources of the Internet. If a mother finds her baby covered with a rash or has a high temperature, she will be more likely to consult Google than a doctor. If a businessman needs some data to be copied and transmitted immediately, he will use digital cameras and other gadgets.

If some pensioner wants to entertain themselves in their free time, they are going to turn on the TV set and endlessly switch the thousands of channels performed by a digital satellite. And finally, if this essay was to be presented to a great audience, it would be more convenient to broadcast it with the help of digital technologies than to print it thousands of times. Let us face it: digital media has usurped our life; in fact, it became a part of it, the bigger part. It has so far replaced all the means of interaction, communication, education, or entertainment known ever before. And the process of digital media spread is still in progress, as humanity itself stimulates this to happen.

First of all, it is worth stressing the fact that the issue concerns only American society. For if to analyze the world in general, the thesis will lose its viability. For instance, countries of the Third World are too contrastive to the United States in the respect of technological potential. In addition, there still are countries, which prefer traditional radio, television, and newspapers to digital media. American society, a society of consumers in a country that meets the consumers’ requirements, is the most likely to be related to digital media.

So what makes digital media so popular? And how does it reflect on society? The preference of digital media today can be explained by its universal form. All the information is coded, which is convenient and much faster to use. In comparison to some traditional technologies, digital media deals with numbers instead of images, voices, and other materials. Manovich accentuates the fact that “an image or a shape can be described using a mathematical function” (Manovich, 9).

Of course, it does not make digital media any more reliable, as far as the numerous copying and transferring of information leads to loss of data. Namely, some scientists have an opinion that “while in theory digital technology entails the flawless replication of data, its actual use in contemporary society is characterized by the loss of data, degradation, and noise” (Manovich, 5). In addition, digital data cannot even be called genuine simply because of having a cyber shape.

But the huge advantage of it is that a combination of numbers is and always will be the most convenient to copy, carry and perform than anything else. Such coding is now studied and demonstrated at any computer course; therefore anyone can try to operate it if needed. This points to the connection between digital media and society: anyone can deal with it with no difficulties.

Indeed, digital media is one of the greatest means of globalization. Mixing different ethnical groups and their mentalities is just one of the numerous processes which are happening due to it today. We use digital gadgets to live our lives, we even prefer virtual money to those we can touch and smell. On the national level, different monopolies spread and become more powerful because of the commercials which are delivered to people together with news and entertainment. This can be treated as an egalitarian force of digital media on the economical level. Besides, there are several other issues that lead to the unity of the nation in different respects.

Another significant feature of digital media is its accessibility. The United States of America, a multicultural country with different nations and ethnic groups, can provide all the citizens with news or any other information which is important for them. And the viability of digital media as an egalitarian force, in this case, is reached with the help of the members of the society. People who speak different languages suddenly start to speak and comprehend English when it comes to the need for technology use.

In addition, even if someone had an extreme need to have the information on their language, it would be more than possible. It is well-known that nowadays the technology managed to even find a way of digitalizing the language, coding, and converting it. Of course, language cannot be translated by a system, but artificial intelligence is very popular and often used in this case.

Another issue concerning language as a factor that became rather flexible due to digital technologies is that digital media offers a special vocabulary that has the same form in every language. Numerous studies have shown the tendency of using such a vocabulary even in real life. It means that everyone who has access to digital media (which practically means anyone who lives in the United States) is at the same time involved in membership of a community with their secret language. This is another example of digital media being a link that unites and equals people. So it remains an open question if the digital media was made universal by technology or by consumers. In any case, people of any age or nation have equal opportunities to access digital media today.

A controversial point about the accessibility of digital media may appear when it comes to its cost. All the technologies seem to develop with an overwhelming speed; the tendencies of miniaturizing and improving can make the digital technologies quite expensive for some of the members of society. It can contradict its theoretical accessibility. But, on the other hand, there are sources that are open to the wide public. For instance, the Internet is one of those universal databases which can be used in any place by anyone.

Talking about the ability of digital media to make people equal, it is worth mentioning the Internet as a web of sites with information, which is divided into sections according to different topics. If several people are interested in one issue, they would probably try to find it on Internet, which is the fastest way. The web usually offers a set of articles, pieces of news, and writings that are the same for anyone who would like to read them.

This means that all the people will be given the same information about one issue, with a possibility which is a few times higher than a possibility of buying the same newspaper or watching the same channel. The information will also be listed on the Internet in the way from the most significant to the least significant, but the point is that the degree of importance is also defined by the system. This issue was also raised in the work of Gillmor, who writes about cable companies that used to decide which package of channels was to offer. The author notes ironically: “Oh, sure, customers had a choice: yes or no” (Gillmor, 5).

Therefore, all the interested appear to be just consumers who take in the prepared information. “Egalitarian” means based on the belief that everybody should have equal rights and opportunities. Even if these rights are repressed or manipulated, the key feature is equality. Negative or positive, the process described above is another demonstration of the egalitarian power of digital media.

The previous discussion can persuade us to make a logical conclusion about the tendency of digital technologies to atomize people. We no longer analyze the information, but just consume it. Moreover, digital technology has robbed people of a chance to perform their creativity. There is no more need of being creative in a world where numbers can replace thoughts. The digital media with its coded voice and image is practically nothing more than just a simple noise.

Anything can be changed, corrected, or even faked. That is why creativity is not stimulated to be developed today, which turns people into an atomized mass of consumers and wipes away any features of individual vision. This can be treated as a personality destroying power, but what it does is uniting all the people and breathing a single idea into them. If people are concerned about a single issue and have the same ideas about it then isn’t it a feature of an egalitarian community?

It is also worth mentioning that while talking about digital media as an egalitarian force it means only mental and behavioral equality of people. In respect of actual access to digital media, there are different aspects, most of which were discussed above. But there is also one distinguishing feature about how digital media tends to individualize people. There is something very special about the way we, for example, work with computers. Everyone nowadays has their computer, called Personal, and everyone is likely to sit alone in front of it while working or playing. This model of face-to-screen communication is sole for anyone today and therefore we can say that it makes people equal not only in having access to the digital media but also in the way they do it.

Media, in general, can be characterized as a means of delivery of information to the general public. This includes both news and entertainment, and the latter is much more popular. Digital media, like no other, can provide people with entertainment. Even though twenty-five percent of entertaining sites on the Internet are related to pornography (a sign of egalitarian unity of dissatisfied men?), there are also different readings, images, archives of music, etc.

Every day we download loads of information that can be measured mathematically but which influence is hard to imagine. It occupies, entertains, involves. Online games became so popular that the majority of studies about the impact of digital media are devoted to the analysis of the games’ characters, their hidden message, and their influence on players. People in costumes of the characters of games are welcomed to different shows and parades. It seems like the nation has a separate group of heroes, the virtual ones. American children are all equal in playing online games, and the adults – in being irritated by that. And yet it can be derived from the examples given that these entertainments unite the nation.

However, there is also some educational potential of digital media. The infinite sources of information are open to anyone today. Possibility of distanced and combined studying made it easier for students to get a diploma. What is more, anyone can use digital technologies for spreading their information. Undoubtedly, the Internet is much more convenient in use than a real library. Therefore, the new generation is highly unlikely to choose paper books and taking some notes when there is an opportunity of pressing just a few keys. Critical thinking and filtering the information read has been replaced by simple Ctrl C – Ctrl V.

Any student can simply recognize these combinations of keys, which once more points to the egalitarian force of digital media. But there should be no prejudices against modern students who often are considered to be lazy. It should also be taken into consideration that they are often stimulated to deal with digital media more than with the traditional ones. Specifically, academic presentations are always more successful when supported by some digital data: a film or images, which can be presented to the audience.

The students are often given a task to watch or read or find and analyze some articles or other materials which are spread with the help of digital media. In addition, pen and paper nowadays are more and more often replaced with the keyboard and screen. Indeed, the printed information is much easier to hold, transmit, or correct. As a result, even this essay was printed and typed with digital gadgets, and the digital media was a source of ideas for this work. Such changes in information form and value create a model of life and its perception for anyone who uses digital media. Of course, the information can be reliable and useful, but what changes gradually is how people use it.

The invention and development of artificial intelligence is another great issue that has both positive and negative sides. Everyone with no exception is familiar with it, and sometimes people use it undeliberately. For instance, John Mecklin writes about complex algorithms programming, which is “often placed under the over-colorful umbrella of artificial intelligence” (Mecklin, 1). Web sites like Google are very popular and irreplaceable for Americans today. Pursuit of news, entertainment, and a piece of advice are just varieties of one aim – using digital data. We have become addicted to it and much dependent on it, and, which is most striking, this concerns everyone.

Not only was the entertainment and studying digitalized, but also the most important sphere of adolescent life – work. Digital labor is nowadays preferred to all the other kinds of work. To illustrate, we can mention the expression of one of the scientists: “Cultural and technical work is central to the Internet but is also a widespread activity throughout advanced capitalist societies” (Terranova, 34). Does it concern American society? Indisputably.

Even though the politicians may argue about giving an exact definition to American society, there is a capitalist basis that is supported and developed by the digital media. The commercial nature of this media suggests that society is divided into consumers and those who work for consumers, and often these roles coincide. Everybody needs something and everybody has an equal possibility to satisfy their needs. Thus, digital media continues equaling people in all the spheres of their lives.

After an argumentative discussion, it would be relevant to give some predictions for the future. Of course, we have no power to tell exactly how digital media will influence people’s life further on. But it undoubtedly will and we are likely to accelerate this process. Even though the images, shapes, and sounds are being coded nowadays, the codes are created and composed by human beings. It can give hope to people occupying technology in the future, but not vice versa.

On the other hand, people can get tired of the traditional ways of working which are left and live it all up to machines. This is very likely to happen, for the progressing of digital technology leaves no chance for conventional media to continue existing. In any case, all the processes connected to digital media development will influence the whole American nation, as far as technology has already become a part of our lives. When it comes to the nation’s interests, it is essential that not everyone is concerned about politics, not all the people are communicative or have the same ideas, but everybody is familiar with and interested in digital media. Hence, the only statement which will for sure be efficient is that digital media will always be an egalitarian force in American society.

Reference list

Manovich, Lev “What is New Media” (ch 1 of The Language of New Media).

Mecklin, John “Deep Throat Meets Data-Mining”.

Terranova, Tiziana “Free Labor Producing Culture for the Digital Economy”. Duke University Press. 2000.

Gillmor, Dan “From Tom Paine to Blogs”.

• Sir Thomas More’s Utopia and the Transformation of England
• Internet and Everyday Life
• Political Climate Effect on Healthy Nutrition
• CNN’s Coverage of the Recession
• Theatre and Society Symbiotic Relationship
• David Hendy's Quote on American Radio
• American Influence on European Media Through Years
• Is It Fair to Cover Famous People’s Private Lives in Mass Media?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, November 9). Digital Media and Society. https://ivypanda.com/essays/digital-media-and-society/

"Digital Media and Society." IvyPanda , 9 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/digital-media-and-society/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Digital Media and Society'. 9 November.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Digital Media and Society." November 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/digital-media-and-society/.

1. IvyPanda . "Digital Media and Society." November 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/digital-media-and-society/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Digital Media and Society." November 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/digital-media-and-society/.

• Infrastructure & Standards
• Information & Data
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Privacy & Security

Defining concepts of the digital society

First concepts in this collection.

Defining concepts of the digital society Christian Katzenbach & Thomas Christian Bächle, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society

Algorithmic governance Christian Katzenbach, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society Lena Ulbricht, Berlin Social Science Center

Datafication Ulises A. Mejias, State University of New York at Oswego Nick Couldry, London School of Economics & Political Science

Filter bubble Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology

Platformisation Thomas Poell, University of Amsterdam David Nieborg, University of Toronto José van Dijck, Utrecht University

Privacy Tobias Matzner, University of Paderborn Carsten Ochs, University of Kassel

In our research on ‘artificial intelligence’, robots or autonomous systems in Berlin it is a recurring theme that preconceived images shape many of the expectations and fears associated with technologies. These images, however, do not necessarily reflect actual capabilities. Phenomena such as “machine learning” or “decision-making systems” are often misguidedly attributed with notions of intentionality, free will or consciousness. Still, these imaginations and figures of speech have actual political and social clout, shape research and technological development goals and inform discourses on regulation, innovation and potential futures.

Terminology shapes reality . What’s true for the phenomena that we address in our research is certainly also true for the terminology we use for our research. What at first sounded like a banal truism, for us gradually evolved into the idea for this project, establishing a new special section Defining concepts of the digital society . At a time, when branding new, occasionally innovative but often only catchy terms has become a familiar activity of researchers, companies and policymakers alike, we felt it was particularly necessary to reflect on which of these concepts was actually worthwhile, provided analytic value and actually described something new – besides the fluffy rhetoric that repeatedly becomes rampant in academic discourse.

Algorithmic governance , autonomous systems , transparency, smart technologies – these concepts are among the best candidates to serve this cause. They have become part of the vocabulary that is mobilised to make sense of the current rapid social and technological change. In this quest to understand the digital society, some ideas have proved to be more successful than others in stimulating public discourse, academic thinking, as well as economic and political activities. More recently, platformisation and datafication have become household-terms although relating to highly complicated and multi-facetted phenomena that could potentially also be described differently. Some concepts even strongly shape public and policy discourse albeit lacking solid empirical validation (the commonly referenced filter bubble is a case in point here).

There is high demand for concepts and explanations that condense the complexity of the world by transforming it into cogent and manageable ideas. Empirical research typically addresses single aspects of the current transformations. Adding small pieces to the puzzle, individual reports, research papers and essays tend to be rather unconnected, sometimes even resisting being combined with each other. While they certainly have a heuristic value, for example by validating or falsifying assumptions for well-defined, yet restricted contexts, they cannot provide overarching explanations and narratives. This is where more abstract concepts come into the picture. Operating on the level of middle range theories, they are able to integrate diverse phenomena under one notion by foregrounding certain shared characteristics. We need those overarching concepts to make sense of the current transformations.

A new special section defining concepts of the digital society

With this new special section Defining concepts of the digital society in Internet Policy Review , we seek to foster a platform that provides and validates exactly these overarching frameworks and theories. Based on the latest research, yet broad in scope, the contributions offer effective tools to analyse the digital society. Their authors offer concise articles that portray and critically discuss individual concepts with an interdisciplinary mindset. Each article contextualises their origin and academic traditions, analyses their contemporary usage in different research approaches and discusses their social, political, cultural, ethical or economic relevance and impact as well as their analytical value. With this, the authors are building bridges between the disciplines, between research and practice as well as between innovative explanations and their conceptual heritage.

We hope that this growing collection of reference papers will succeed in providing guidance for research and teaching as well as inform stakeholders in policy, business and civil society. For scholars, the articles seek to constitute an instructive reference that points to current research, historical and (interdisciplinary) backgrounds of the respective concepts, and relevant ongoing debates. For teachers and students alike, the articles offer an accessible overview that covers and contextualises broad themes while providing useful pointers to further research. Being relatively short and accessible in format, the articles thrive to become instructive and relevant beyond academia. Stakeholders in policy and business as well as journalists and civil society are increasingly interested in research evidence and academic perspectives on the entanglement of digitalisation and society. With its newly developed format the special section helps to navigate relevant research fields for these interdisciplinary questions. As an ongoing publication in this journal on internet regulation, we hope to not only meet the existing demand for overarching concepts and explanations but also being able to quickly adapt to the rapidly changing transformations.

The politics of concepts – and the limits of this special section

Terms and concepts are lenses on the complexity of reality that foreground some aspects while neglecting others. They bear normative assumptions, install specific ways of understanding new phenomena, and possibly even create regulatory implications. The more we use these terms, the more both the phenomena they refer to as well as their specific framing increasingly become self-evident and ordinary. At the same time, however, each of these concepts has its own ideational, theoretical and rhetorical histories rooted, for example, in social theory or political thought, but also on a very practical level in business decisions to invest in certain ideas or policy debates with their own discursive rules. As a consequence, these concepts are far from being natural, let alone a neutral designator of existing phenomena. Concepts always bear their own politics – and in mobilising them, we need to carefully and critically reflect these politics and the choices they represent.

Of course, this special section on concepts of the digital society is necessarily and inescapably part of the very politics it seeks to reflect. By choosing certain terms over others, giving voice to a selection of authors, their respective disciplines and viewpoints, the special section itself undoubtedly takes part in the hierarchisation of terms and ideas. One could easily point at the limitations that result from providing predominantly Western perspectives, an uneven mix of disciplinary positions, even the dominant representation of certain auctorial subjectivities in terms of gender, race or ethnicity. Ultimately, any form of conceptual work struggles with blind spots. While we certainly acknowledge that the project poses challenges, we are certain that it is a worthwhile and necessary endeavour.

The special section is a continuing project. This first collection of five concepts offers a critical assessment of prominent, yet hitherto often nebulous or vague ideas, terms or descriptions. It does by no means seek to provide a finite and unalterable list of definitions. Its very objective is to encourage dialogue and contestation. We explicitly invite contributions to promote dialogue between the concepts and also to take counter-positions. With mostly co-authored pieces representing differing academic disciplines, the special section is already striving for a heterogeneity of viewpoints in individual papers. The larger quest of the project is to offer a genuine multitude of positions, extending, opposing or updating the concepts, their premises or consequences.

With this special section we are seeking to find a middle ground between the conceptual challenges and the aim of providing short and focused concept papers on the one hand and what we regard as the unquestionable need for interdisciplinary, concise and scholarly rigorous contributions that help to understand digital societies. This is the prime objective of this project.

First articles in the special section and future concepts

This launch of the special section in Internet Policy Review represents only the first installment of an ongoing project that seeks to build both a repertoire of instructive concepts and a platform to contest and elaborate on already published ones. Further iterations with additional concepts and commentaries on existing papers will follow in regular intervals.

With this first collection, the special section particularly focuses on the important role of data, the practices of their production, dissemination and trade as well as the ensuing broader social, political and cultural ramifications. Ulises A. Mejias and Nick Couldry look at the concept of datafication which describes a cultural logic of quantification and monetisation of human life through digital information. They identify the major social consequences which are aligned at the intersection of power and knowledge: in political economy, datafication has implications for labour and the establishment of new markets. Not only in this regard is it closely connected to the tendency – and concept – of platformisation (see below). With the help of decolonial theory Mejias and Couldry put particular emphasis on the politics and geography of datafication in what they call data colonialism: the large-scale extraction of data equals the appropriation of social ressources with the general objective (mostly by Western companies) to “dispossess”. In the context of legal theory, Mejias and Couldry note that the processes of datafication are so wide-ranging that basic rights of the self, autonomy and privacy are increasingly called into question.

It is exactly this disposition of once authoritative ideas that has become quite fragile. In this context, Tobias Matzner and Carsten Ochs analyse the concept of privacy in relation to changing socio-technical conditions. They emphasise the need to understand and theorise privacy differently with the advent of digital technologies. These “shift the possibilities and boundaries of human perception and action” by creating visibilities and forms of interaction that are no longer defined by physical presence: personal information or pictures become potentially accessible for a worldwide audience, data “is easy and cheap to store” and becomes permanent in digital records. In addition to these technical contexts they argue that the scope of the “inherent individualism” of “conventional privacy theories” and data protection legislation does not meet the needs brought about by datafication: the forms of aggregated data used to identify behavioural patterns, they argue, is not the same as personal data.

One of the reasons why these forms of aggregated data operate at said intersection of knowledge and power is the practice of increasingly managing social spaces and interactions with algorithmic systems. Christian Katzenbach and Lena Ulbricht discuss algorithmic governance as a notion that builds on the longstanding theme that technology allows for a specific mode of governing society. Datafication, increasing computing power, more sophisticated algorithms, the economic and political interest in seemingly efficient and cost-reducing solutions, as well as the general trend towards digitalisation have all contributed to the new appeal and actual deployment of technological means to order the social. Eschewing the deterministic tendencies of the notion, yet taking seriously the increasing influence of algorithmic systems, the authors discuss a range of sectors from predictive policing to automated content moderation that increasingly rely on algorithmic governance. The concept brings previously unconnected objects of inquiry and research fields together and allows to identify overarching concerns such as surveillance, bias, agency, transparency and depoliticisation.

Many of these developments are primarily attributed to what we have converged on calling platforms: huge, often globally operating companies and services such as Facebook and Alibaba, Google and Uber that seek to transform and intermediate transactions across key economic sectors to position themselves as indispensable infrastructures of private and public life. Thomas Poell, David Nieborg and José van Dijck discuss platformisation as key development and narrative of the digital society. They argue that academic disciplines need to join forces in order to systematically investigate how changes in infrastructures, market relations and governance frameworks are intertwined, and how they take shape in relation to shifting cultural practices. We are only starting to understand how and why platforms have become the dominant mode of economic and social organisation and what the long-term effects might be.

One of the more prominent notions that seek to capture the effects of the reorganisation of social life by platforms and datafication is the metaphor of the filter bubble . Axel Bruns critically discusses this concept and carves out why it holds a special position in the set of concepts in this special section: while the idea of an algorithmically curated filter bubble seems plausible and enjoys considerable popularity in public and political discourse, empirical research shows little evidence that the phenomenon actually exists. Based on different readings of the concept and existing studies, Bruns argues that, rather than acutely capturing an empirical phenomenon, the persistent use of the notion has now created its own discursive reality that continues to have an impact on societal institutions, media and communication platforms as well as the users themselves. In consequence, the notion might even redirect scholarly attention away, warns Bruns, from far more critical questions such as why different groups in society “come to develop highly divergent personal readings of information” in the first place, and how the “ossification of these diverse ideological perspectives into partisan group identities” can be prevented or undone.

In 2020 the special section will continue, featuring concepts such as Digital commons , Transparency , Autonomous systems , Value in design and Smart technologies . Honouring the openness of the project, we appreciate suggestions for future concepts to be considered and any constructive feedback on the project itself. We sincerely hope the special section Defining concepts of the digital society will become a valuable forum and a helpful resource for many.

Acknowledgments

For an academic publication project such as this, most credit is routinely attributed to only a few named authors and editors. The success of a publication, however, always builds on a much broader group of people. This is particularly true for this special section. The long journey from the first idea to the publication of this collection of concepts was made possible by the help of many. We thank first and foremost Frédéric Dubois, the Internet Policy Review ’s managing editor who has steered this rocky ride from beginning to end, with careful attention, from the overarching process to the details of wording. Uta Meier-Hahn helped to push the idea towards realisation by drafting a first exposé. The board of the Internet Policy Review and colleagues gave valuable guidance, especially Melanie Dulong De Rosnay, Jeanette Hofmann, David Megías Jiménez, Joris van Hoboken, Seda Guerses and Lilian Edwards provided instrumental feedback on the way. And Patrick Urs Riechert gave all the manuscripts the final polish. Thank you all!

Thomas Christian Bächle and Christian Katzenbach

Berlin, December 2019

Add new comment

Adjusts contrasts, text, and spacing in order to improve legibility for people with dyslexia.

Contrasts, text, and spacing are adjusted in order to improve legibility for people with dyslexia. Also, links look like this and italics like this . Font is changed to Atkinson Hyperlegible

Is this feature helpful for you, or could the design be improved? If you have feedback please send us a message .

• Digital society

Related Articles

Data justice.

The concept of data justice has been used to denote a shift in understanding of what is at stake with datafication beyond digital rights. This essay speaks to different interpretations of the substance of data justice (ontology), who it applies to (scope), and how it should be upheld (procedure).

Internet Policy Review is an open access and peer-reviewed journal on internet regulation.

peer reviewed

Not peer reviewed.

email Subscribe NEWSLETTER

Digital Society Essays

Episode creation and analysis, limited screen time for children, nurturing responsible cyber citizenship: unveiling the path to a digital society, popular essay topics.

• American Dream
• Artificial Intelligence
• Black Lives Matter
• Bullying Essay
• Career Goals Essay
• Causes of the Civil War
• Child Abusing
• Civil Rights Movement
• Community Service
• Cultural Identity
• Cyber Bullying
• Death Penalty
• Depression Essay
• Domestic Violence
• Freedom of Speech
• Global Warming
• Gun Control
• Human Trafficking
• I Believe Essay
• Immigration
• Importance of Education
• Israel and Palestine Conflict
• Leadership Essay
• Legalizing Marijuanas
• Mental Health
• National Honor Society
• Police Brutality
• Pollution Essay
• Racism Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Same Sex Marriages
• Social Media
• The Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Time Management
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Violent Video Games
• What Makes You Unique
• Why I Want to Be a Nurse
• Send us an e-mail

Digital Society

Ethics, Socio-Legal and Governance of Digital Technology

Digital Society publishes articles on topics related to governance, transformations, environments, and developments of digital technology and their implications for society. The journal encourages rigorous investigations, evaluations, and recommendations respectful of good scholarship from any disciplinary tradition and particularly welcomes submissions that fall within the journal’s four Thematic Areas. Digital Transformations – Area Editor: TBC In this Thematic Area, we welcome papers dealing with digital technologies and their transformative implications on digital society. We welcome submissions that consider transformations about:

• concepts (e.g., how to (re)think ‘agency’ or ‘border’);
• behaviour in society (e.g., the functioning and impact of content recommendation algorithms);
• organization of society (e.g., changes brought about by the use of smart devices in homes or in health care);
• relations within society (e.g., how digital cultures form new social groups and new ways of relating to the self).
• conceptual discussions related to digital governance concepts such as digital sovereignty, digital colonialism, digital constitutionalism;
• actor-centric approaches that examine the roles of those involved in (global) digital governance e.g., digital technology firms and sectors, state regulators, technical experts, transnational and inter-state institutions, and civil society/activits groups;
• norms-focused approaches that examine ethical and legal standards, normative change and public attitudes toward governance, including the role of human rights;
• studies of culture(s) and power in digital governance, including postcolonial analyses;
• investigations of specific technologies or constructs and their governance, including Internet governance, AI governance, platform governance, quantum computing governance and the governance of extended reality.
• the socio-economic consequences of onlife environments (e.g., alt-right communities, the gig economy);
• the implications of digital technology on the natural environment (e.g., the prospects of green techno-scientific innovations);
• identifying and (re)thinking “environment” and “ecology” in response to the emergence of a new onlife environment (e.g., augmented reality).
• the role of digital technologies in education and lifelong learning;
• democratisation, globalisation and digitalisation;
• the digital divide and the promotion of intergenerational and intersectional relations;
• the future of work in the digital age;
• how to balance the environmental and financial costs of the digital society.

The journal also hosts temporary Topical Collections that gather papers on a specific issue, for instance: the analysis of a particular new/emerging digital technology from a governance, ethical, or legal perspective; debates on interventions to proposed legislation/governance approaches; re-orienting/establishing contemporary debates in an existing body of literature; analyses of the implications of a digital technology being applied to specific industries; (refereed) proceedings of workshops, conferences, or sessions in relevant venues. For a full list of topical collections, see here https://www.springer.com/journal/44206 . The journal publishes research articles of different types, review papers that critically engage with best practices and policies relevant to its scope, white papers and policy reports, commentaries to published pieces, and brief communications. It supports theoretical analyses and any intellectual approach, disciplinary tradition, school of thought, and cultural perspective that are respectful of good scholarship standards, sharable empirical evidence, and cogent arguments. We welcome empirical research, drawing on qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, as long as it also reflects on the implications of these results for understanding or shaping digital societies. All research we publish is peer-reviewed; please see our Peer Review Taxonomy for details. Please submit your research online or contact us to discuss your ideas for a Topical Collection. All research papers are double-blind, peer-reviewed. We strongly encourage the author(s) to indicate a Thematic Area or Topical Collection of their choice, and the editors may, at their discretion, assign the submission to a relevant category.

• Federica Russo

Latest articles

Recommendation systems as social determinants of health.

• Arijit Goswami

Come in and See: Translating a Design Pattern from the Courtroom into an Online Environment

• Jenni Hakkarainen
• Joaquín Santuber

Unlocking the Societal Potential of Smart Grid Technologies: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Sandeep Kumar
• Vaibhav Garg
• Anukram Mishra

Self-Sovereign Identity Model: Ethics and Legal Principles

• Luca Mattei
• Francesca Morpurgo
• Tetiana Vasylieva

Examining Ethical and Social Implications of Digital Mental Health Technologies Through Expert Interviews and Sociotechnical Systems Theory

• Jonathan Adams

Journal updates

Topical collection submission information.

We prepared an  explanation of the publishing process  (attach PDF Explanation Topical Collection) and relevant information for guest editors. We invite you to read this document carefully; they will help you with the preparation and successful implementation of a topical collection.

When you are ready to start preparing a proposal, we invite you to do so  via the form (attach 00 Topical Propsoal Form) we prepared. This will provide us with the information we need to be able to make a fast and well-informed decision. 

Please submit your proposal here https://forms.gle/pq8hBVzALjC6foc97

Should you have any questions, please contact the EiC or the publisher:  [email protected]  at any point.

Journal information

• Google Scholar
• OCLC WorldCat Discovery Service
• TD Net Discovery Service

Rights and permissions

Editorial policies

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG

• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

• The Future of Digital Spaces and Their Role in Democracy

Many experts say public online spaces will significantly improve by 2035 if reformers, big technology firms, governments and activists tackle the problems created by misinformation, disinformation and toxic discourse. Others expect continuing troubles as digital tools and forums are used to exploit people’s frailties, stoke their rage and drive them apart

Table of contents.

• 1. A sampling of some of the key overarching views
• 2. Public digital spaces will be improved: Tech can be fixed, governments and corporations can reorient incentives and people can band together to work for reform
• 3. Large improvement of digital spaces is unlikely by 2035: Human frailties will remain the same; corporations, governments and the public will not be able to make reforms
• 4. Work is needed now to prepare for a mind-bending future
• 5. Closing thoughts
• 6. About this canvassing of experts
• Acknowledgments

This is the 13th “ Future of the Internet ” canvassing Pew Research Center and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center have conducted together to gather expert views about important digital issues. In this report, the questions focused on the prospects for improvements in the tone and activities of the digital public sphere by 2035. This is a nonscientific canvassing based on a nonrandom sample; this broad array of opinions about where current trends may lead in the next decade represents only the points of view of the individuals who responded to the queries. Pew Research Center and Elon’s Imagining the Internet Center built a database of experts to canvass from a wide range of fields, inviting professionals and policy people based in government bodies, nonprofits and foundations, technology businesses and think tanks, as well as interested academics and technology innovators. The predictions reported here came in response to a set of questions in an online canvassing conducted between June 29 and Aug. 2, 2021. In all, 862 technology innovators and developers, business and policy leaders, researchers and activists responded to at least one of the questions covered in this report. More on the methodology underlying this canvassing and the participants can be found in the section titled “ About this canvassing of experts .”

Those who worry about the future of democracy focus a lot of their anxiety on the way that the things that happen in online public spaces are harming deliberation and the fabric of society. To be sure, billions of users appreciate what the internet does for them. But the climate in some segments of social media and other online spaces has been called a “ dumpster fire ” of venom, misinformation, conspiracy theories and goads to violence.

Social media platforms are drawing fire for their role in all of this. After the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, a congressional panel requested that Facebook, Google, Twitter, Parler, 4chan, Twitch and TikTok release all records related to misinformation around the 2020 election, including efforts to influence or overturn the presidential election results. In September 2021, a five-part series in The Wall Street Journal exposed details that seem to show that Facebook has allowed the diffusion of misinformation, disinformation and toxicity that has resulted in ethnic violence and harm to teenage girls and has undermined COVID-19 vaccination efforts. And The Journal’s source, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, followed up by telling the U.S. Senate that she had gone public with her explosive material “because I believe that Facebook’s products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.”

Worries over the rise in the acrid tone and harmful and manipulative interactions in some online spaces, and concerns over the role of technology firms in all of this, have spawned efforts by tech activists to try to redesign online spaces in ways that facilitate debate, enhance civility and provide personal security. A selection of these initiatives were described in a spring 2021 article in The Atlantic Monthly by Anne Applebaum and Peter Pomerantsev. Among the suggested solutions documented in the piece:

• The creation of an internet version of public media along the lines of PBS and NPR;
• “ Middleware ” that could allow people to set an algorithm to give them the kind of internet experience they want, perhaps without the dystopian side effects;
• Online upvoting systems that favor content that could push partisans toward consensus, rather than polarizing them;
• An internet “bill of rights” allowing “self-sovereign identity” that lets people stay anonymous online, but weeds out bots; and
• “ Constructive communication ” systems set up to dial down anger and bridge divides.

In light of the current conversations about the need to rethink and redesign online public spaces, Pew Research Center and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center asked experts how they expect the digital public sphere to evolve by 2035. Some 862 technology innovators, developers, business and policy leaders, researchers and activists responded to this specific question:

Looking ahead to 2035, will digital spaces and people’s use of them be changed in ways that significantly serve the public good?

Some 61% chose the option declaring that, “yes,” by 2035, digital spaces and people’s uses of them will change in ways that significantly serve the public good; 39% chose the “no” option, positing that by 2035, digital spaces and people’s uses of them will not change in ways that significantly serve the public good.

It is important to note that a large share of who chose “yes” – that online public spaces would improve by 2035 – also wrote in their answers that the changes between now and then could go either way. They often listed one or more difficult hurdles to overcome before that outcome can be achieved. Thus, the numeric findings reported here are not fully indicative of the troubles that they think lie between now and 2035.

In fact, in answer to a separate question in which they were asked how they see digital spaces generally evolving now, a majority ( 70% ), said current technological evolution has both positives and negatives , 18% said digital spaces are evolving in a mostly negative way that is likely to lead to a worse future for society, 10% said the online world is evolving in a mostly positive way that is likely to lead to a better society, and about 3% said digital spaces are not evolving in one direction or another .

It is also worth noting that the responses were gathered in mid-summer of 2021. People’s responses came in the cultural context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and at a time when rising concerns over climate change , racial justice and social inequality were particularly prominent – and half a year after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol in the aftermath of one of the most highly contentious U.S. presidential elections in recent history.

This is a nonscientific canvassing, based on a nonrandom sample. The results represent only the opinions of the individuals who responded to the queries and are not projectable to any other population.

The bulk of this report covers these experts’ written answers explaining their responses to our questions. They sounded many broad themes in sharing their insights about the evolution of the digital “town squares” most people frequent.

The themes are outlined in the tables that follow below:

As they considered these questions, some of these experts predicted that changes of a different order of magnitude are also in store by 2035. Some of the most compelling ideas include:

• Brad Templeton advanced a “new moral theory [that] it is wrong to exploit known flaws in the human psyche.” He argues that the embrace of “psyche-exploitation avoidance” would lead to a new design of online spaces.
• Mike Liebhold outlined a future with applied machine intelligence everywhere, continuous pervasive cybersecurity vulnerabilities, ubiquitous conversational bot agents, holographic media and telepresence and cobotics (collaborative robotics), among other things.
• Carolina Rossini predicted that a regulatory agency to monitor technology’s impact on health – a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for algorithms – will arise as increasing numbers of digital technology tools are placed in people’s bodies.
• Raashi Saxena urged, “We do not have a global, agreed-upon list of digital harms that can be inflicted upon us … We first need to define the rights to be protected.”
• Jerome Glenn said a new civilization will emerge as the “Information Age” gives way to the “Conscious-Technology Age” through the force of two megatrends: “First, humans will become cyborgs, as our biology becomes integrated with technology. Second, our built environment will incorporate more artificial intelligence.”
• Cory Doctorow said the “tyranny of network effects” will be broken if interoperability is imposed on tech companies so that, for instance, people could move their social media networks from one platform to another and easily abandon online spaces they do not like.
• Robin Raskin predicted, “The metaverse – digital twins of real worlds or entirely fabricated worlds – will be a large presence by 2035, unfortunately with some of the same bad practices on the internet today such as personal-identity infringements.”
• Beth Simone Noveck expects new “governance models” for public online spaces that allow citizens and groups to participate directly in policymaking and provision of services.
• James Hendler believes there will be tech advances that allow people to control their online identities and privacy preferences in ways that thwart omnipresent surveillance schemes.
• Barry Chudakov predicts “the self will go digital” and exist in the flesh and in its digital avatar. “Identity is thereby multiple and fluid: Roles, sexual orientation and self-presentation evolve from solely in-person to in-space.”

In the next chapter, there is a collection of responses from technology and academic experts that cover a range of issues tied to online public spaces and are noteworthy for their insights, and for the prominence of the respondents. It closes with two essay-style responses to these questions from internet sages Barry Chudakov and Judith Donath .

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivery Saturday mornings

Sign up for The Briefing

Weekly updates on the world of news & information

• Politics Online

How Americans Navigate Politics on TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram

­most americans favor restrictions on false information, violent content online, #blacklivesmatter turns 10, a profile of the top-ranked podcasts in the u.s., support for the black lives matter movement has dropped considerably from its peak in 2020, most popular, report materials.

1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

© 2024 Pew Research Center

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Open access
• Published: 17 March 2021

Towards digital society management and ‘capitalism 4.0’ in contemporary Russia

• Elena Popkova   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2136-2767 1 ,
• Aleksei V. Bogoviz 2 &
• Bruno S. Sergi 3 , 4  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  8 , Article number:  77 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

2366 Accesses

30 Citations

Metrics details

Conceptualizing the complexities of the Russian political economy strikingly illustrates the challenging but essential role of the State in the new process of capitalist reforms initiated in the 1990s. A missing ingredient in this discourse has been considering the extraordinary impact technology has on society and how it affects the process. Accordingly, this paper focuses on the current development of culturally unique capitalist theory in Russia, together with the practical application of proven quantitative landmarks and policy implications for managing digital society’s development to optimize capitalism in Russia. The paper performs a quantitative analysis of the considerable influence that the digital society has on Russian capitalism and how the latter can be systemically optimized through the former’s development. This contribution’s originality lies in its consideration of the consequences of digital culture on the unique model of capitalism shaping contemporary Russia. Currently, Russia is implementing a particular and unique model of capitalism model where the digital society’s influence is limited and contradictory. We argue that the Russian model of capitalism could experience rapid development in the foreseeable future with effective digital society management.

Similar content being viewed by others

The impact of technologies on society through NPO-social enterprise value co-creation

Digital expansionism and big tech companies: consequences in democracies of the European Union

The power to transform structures: power complexes and the challenges for realising a wellbeing economy

Introduction.

This paper develops alternative economic paradigms drawn from the digital society revolution and applies them to Russia’s contemporary and future model of state capitalism. The paradigms range from the digital society to global competitiveness, the Internet of Things, and social well-being. While Russian capitalism must ensure that it can deliver economic development and high-tech modernization, our paradigms go beyond traditional market versus non-market models to propose a novel framework of development and finance in a digital society characterized by massive, powerful state-controlled companies. The Kremlin now has strategic state control over entities dominating the energy, banking, and natural resources sectors. A speeding up of this trend towards strategic nationalized companies creates a new capitalism model and generates issues with efficiency, competition, and accountability in Russia’s economy.

At the same time, however, we must investigate the nature, flows, and strategic changes that Russia’s new state capitalism has on cross-cutting technologies. Their interconnection with geopolitical, social, and sustainability issues is fundamental. While we expect the technological revolution to produce financial results in terms of GDP growth, there is no guarantee that it will promote social progress. The relationship between the quintessential channel countries relies on increasing their tech capital, and conflicting definitions of products have been documented to be at best puzzling. This paper aims to identify the conditions under which there would be a more direct link between technological advances, improvements in human wellbeing, and the development of a particular type of Russian capitalism to foster economic growth. Russia’s role in supporting technological resources is significant, but new competencies are needed to boost innovative activity.

Future scenarios for the evolution of state capitalism in Russian are closely connected to the rapid development of the technological revolution and the critical role Industry 4.0 now plays in global economic competitiveness. The Fourth Industrial Revolution envisions that technological development will transition to a new—digital—economic model. Industry 4.0 requires Russia to innovate in a wide number of areas to ensure better global competitiveness in the long-term.

Capitalism has been recognized as the optimal economic development model, as is evident by its global implementation. As capitalism is based on the liberal approach to state management, the use of competitive market mechanisms, individual initiative, flexibility, and economic subjects’ adaptability, the social environment plays a critical role. Under the digital economy conditions and the Fourth industrial revolution, a new social environment—digital society—has emerged. In such a society, knowledge and information have considerable value and require the support and application of leading technologies.

There is a scientific and practical problem of determining the influence of digital society on capitalism. This problem is particularly significant in countries with emerging economic systems (Sergi, 2003 ), where capitalism is still being developed. In this paper, we present a systemic view of the considerable influence that the emergence of the digital society has on capitalism in Russia. The Russian socio-economic system’s experience is compelling because the current digital transformation now underway quickly became a burden on society and economy in the process of an incomplete transition to capitalism (Sergi, 2009 ), leading to unique consequences.

This research considers specific perspectives on the development of capitalism in Russia in a digital society. Its significance is that it offers an understanding of digital society’s development as a manageable process, investigating capitalism’s consequences and explicitly focusing on the Russian economy and its unique economic model. Due to the unaffordability of breakthrough technologies and the lack of existing infrastructure for Industry 4.0, the Russian digital model might strengthen both state capitalism and sustainable development. The paper also delves into whether the digital economy improves social well-being and the population’s quality of life. Also, we ask whether the Russian case might have the advantage of becoming a universally applied blueprint for the capitalist models of other large, emerging, resource-rich nations.

The enthusiasm shown by many scholars for the digital society has met with some criticism, mainly because they tend not to emphasize the differences between advanced, emerging, and developing countries. Such a reading focuses solely on the necessary transition measures required for a digital society while neglecting economic development’s distinctive nature in emerging markets. In contrast, we lay out the differences between developed and developing economies by focusing on the Russian case. The research hypothesis is that unlike countries with developed market economies (e.g., countries of the OECD), where the emergence of the digital society broadly supports and accelerates capitalism’s development, the influence of the digital society on capitalism in Russia is complex and contradictory. Not all manifestations of capitalism in Russia are manageable. There is a need for a flexible approach to regulating expressions of capitalism influenced by digital society’s development.

This paper is structured in the following way. The introduction is followed by a literature review (including gap analysis), materials, and methodology. The paper proceeds to introduce and evaluate the following: (1) a quantitative analysis of the influence of the digital society on the designated manifestations of capitalism in Russia; (2) a systemic view on how to optimize Russian capitalism through managing the development of the digital society; and (3) the policy implications for managing the development of the digital society in order to optimize Russian capitalism. This analysis is followed by a case study on the development of digital culture in the context of Russia’s COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The paper concludes with considering the key contributions that it makes in developing capitalist theory and practice in this area.

Theoretical basis

The theoretical basis of the research consists of a broad literature review of work on the digital economy, Industry 4.0, the Fourth industrial revolution, and digital society: Eze et al. ( 2020 ), Goisauf et al. ( 2020 ), Ma et al. ( 2020 ), Malin et al. ( 2020 ), Popkova and Gulzat ( 2020 ), Popkova and Zmiyak ( 2019 ), Sergi ( 2003 ), Sergi et al. ( 2019 ), etc. Pedersen and Wilkinson ( 2018 ) show that social service provision in the digital society has a particular form.

The concept of the digital society as an exceptional socio-economic environment, in which electronic communications prevail and cybersecurity has increased importance, was discussed in the works of Calvo ( 2020 ), Condello ( 2020 ), Lohmeier et al. ( 2020 ), Ramli et al. ( 2020 ), Ruiz-Ruano García and Puga ( 2020 ), Skill et al. ( 2020 ), Syed Alwi et al. ( 2020 ), van Dijck ( 2020 ), and Wijoyo et al. ( 2020 ). An analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on digital society can be found in Al Hajri et al. ( 2020 ) and Yen ( 2020 ).

Dubiel ( 2018 ) proposes the tendency to transform the post-Internet society into a digital society as a new social institution, which emerges, functions, and develops in the digital economy. Hoeyer ( 2020 ) notes that there are inequalities in digital access to data and believes that differences between the public and private sectors have created the infrastructure for digital data and ideas of confidentiality. As observed by Schuchard et al. ( 2019 ), both cause large social risks.

This research is also based on the fundamental tenets of capitalist economic theory as promulgated by modern scholars. Mraović ( 2011 ) compares free-market capitalism and speculative market capitalism. Ali ( 2007 ) studies the specifics of contemporary capitalist relations and introduces the notion of ‘creative capitalism’, and Churchill ( 2003 ) presents the idea of ‘customer capitalism’. Mesure ( 2008 ) believes that we could create a world without poverty based on the promotion of social business, which he believes defines the future of capitalism.

Richardson ( 2011 ) explores the history of capitalism and thinks that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is ruthless. Macgregor ( 2004 ) outlines the new nature of capitalism in the information age. Gamage ( 2006 ) substantiates leadership in the context and derives fourth images of capitalism. Gamble ( 2011 ) introduces the notion of ‘Capitalism 4.0’ and affirms the birth of the new economy after a crisis. Xu ( 2008 ) substantiates the existence of global business citizenship as a transformational basis for ethics and sustainable capitalism. Sinay et al. ( 2020 ) argue that human capital is the most critical element after knowledge in modern capitalism.

As a result of systemizing the key findings from the above works, the following key manifestations of capitalism can be distinguished:

– The foundation on private property (its domination in the structure of capital in the economy);

– Favourable conditions for obtaining profit from capital;

– De-regulation and economic liberalism;

– Free trade and ‘healthy’ competition in sectoral markets in the economy;

– The economy’s openness and adaptability to breakthrough innovative developments to foster sustainable global competitiveness.

Our research objects are therefore indicators that characterize the above manifestations of capitalism in Russia:

– Private property (as of year-end): percentage share of private companies, calculated as the number of private companies as a ratio of total companies. The data are taken from the statistical collection ‘Regions of Russia: socio-economic indicators’ published by the Federal State Statistics Service ( 2020 );

– Balanced financial results: The profit minus negative economic profit of the companies’ activities, according to the data set ‘Interactive statistics and intelligent analytics of the balanced state of the regional economy of Russia in terms of big data and blockchain – 2020’ published by the Institute of Scientific Communications ( 2020 );

– The Index of Economic Freedom: According to data from The Heritage Foundation ( 2020 );

– Freedom of Trade: Foreign trade turnover (the sum of imports and exports), according to data from The Global Economy ( 2020 );

– Global competitiveness index: According to data included in The Global Competitiveness Reports 2010–2019 published by the World Economic Forum ( 2020 ).

The following indicators for the development of the digital society in Russia are also used:

– Share of households with Internet access, according to the report ‘Digital Economy: 2020’ published by the National Research University ‘Higher School of Economics’ ( 2020 );

– Digital knowledge in society (original title of the indicator: ‘knowledge’), according to the IMD’s World Digital Competitiveness Rankings 2017–2019 (2020);

– Share of the population without information security problems when using the Internet, according to the report ‘Information society in the Russian Federation. 2019’ by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, Federal State Statistics Service, and National Research University ‘Higher School of Economics’ ( 2020 );

– Share of the population aged 15–74 using the Internet daily, according to the report ‘Information society in the Russian Federation. 2019’ by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, Federal State Statistics Service, and National Research University ‘Higher School of Economics’ ( 2020 ).

The research timeline covers the years 2010–2020, when the digital society began to emerge in Russia (Table 1 ).

A quantitative analysis of the digital society’s influence on the designated manifestations of capitalism in Russia is performed with correlation analysis. A systemic optimization of Russian capitalism through the management of digital society’s development is performed with regression analysis. The policy implications for managing digital society’s development to optimize Russian capitalism are developed with the simplex method for polycriterial optimization.

Results and discussion

Quantitative analysis of the influence of the digital society on russian ‘capitalism 4.0’.

To obtain the quantitative characteristics of the influence of the digital society influence on the designated manifestations of capitalism in Russia, a correlation analysis has been performed. It illustrates the connections between the manifestations of capitalism and the indicators of the digital society (from Table 1 ). The results are shown in Figs. 1 – 4 .

Source: Calculated by the authors.

As shown in Fig. 1 , the correlation between the share of households with Internet access in Russia and the share of private companies is 39.56% (a weak connection); the balanced financial result of companies’ activities is 57.61%; the Index of Economic Freedom is 69.96% (a negative connection); trade openness is 16.59%; and the Global Competitiveness Index is 61.73%.

As shown in Fig. 2 , the correlation between digital knowledge in Russian society and the share of private companies constitutes 12.88% (a negative connection); the balanced financial result of companies’ activities is 86.42%; the Index of Economic Freedom is 93.65%; trade openness is 12.29% (a weak connection); and the Global Competitiveness Index is 94.18%.

As shown in Fig. 3 , the correlation between the share of the population without information security problems in Russia and the share of private companies is 21.91% (a weak connection); the balanced financial result of companies’ activities is 71.19%; the Index of Economic Freedom is 78.57%; trade openness is 11.40% (a weak connection); and the Global Competitiveness Index is 72.22%.

As shown in Fig. 4 , the correlation between the share of the population using the Internet on a daily basis in Russia and the share of private companies is 2.70% (a negative connection); the balanced financial result of companies’ activities is 85.43%; the Index of Economic Freedom is 89.62%; trade openness is −4.20% (a negative connection), and the Global Competitiveness Index is 86.74%.

The averaged correlation (direct average of the data from Figs. 1 – 4 ) between the manifestations of capitalism 4.0 in Russia and the indicators for the digital society is shown in Fig. 5 .

As shown in Fig. 5 , the averaged correlation between the indicators for the digital society in Russia and the share of private companies constitutes 11.47% (a weak correlation); the balanced financial result of companies’ activities is 75.16%; the Index of Economic Freedom is 82.95%; trade openness is 0.72% (a weak correlation); and the Global Competitiveness Index is 78.72%.

Thus, the most significant indicators of the digital society that positively contribute to the development of capitalism in Russia are the balanced financial results of companies’ activities, the Index of Economic Freedom, and the Global Competitiveness Index. That is why it is expedient to use these indicators during optimization. The share of private companies as a percentage of the total economy and trade openness do not depend on the indicators for the digital society and cannot be optimized in this research; therefore, they are not considered.

Systemic optimization of Russian ‘capitalism 4.0’ through the prism of the development of the digital society

For a mathematical representation of the optimization modelling results, let us use the following system of symbols for the used indicators:

y 1 —the balanced financial result of companies’ activities;

y 2 —The Index of Economic Freedom;

y 3 —The Global Competitiveness Index;

x 1 —the share of households with Internet access;

x 2 —digital knowledge in society;

x 3 —the share of the population without information security problems as a percentage of the total population using the Internet;

x 4 —the share of the population aged 15–74 using the Internet on a daily basis.

Based on Table 1 , three models of multiple linear regression are built. The regression statistics of these models are shown in Table 2 .

According to the results of modelling from Table 2 , the balanced financial result of companies’ activities grows by RUB 120,245.15 if the share of the population without information security problems grows by 1%. It also grows by RUB 547,868.03 if the share of people using the Internet daily grows by 1%. An increase in the digital knowledge level of society by 1 point leads to an increase of the Index of Economic Freedom by 1.15 points and of the Global Competitiveness Index by 5.40 points.

Determination coefficients for all three models strive to 1, constituting 0.9501, 0.9479, and 0.9965, accordingly. Therefore, the change of dependent variables is almost 100% due to the change of factor variables. Significance F in all three cases is below 0.05, constituting 0.00342, 0.00387, and 0.000001, accordingly. The table value of F -criterion in case of v 1  = 4, v 2  = 11−4−1 = 6 (with α  = 0.05) constitutes 4.53. The F -criterion’s observed (factual) values in all cases exceed its table value, constituting 13.91, 13.27, and 215.53, accordingly. Therefore, the regression equations are statistically significant and correct at the significance level α  = 0.05.

Thus, all three obtained regression models conform to the Gauss–Markov theorem, which proves their reliability. The systemic optimization of Russian capitalism through managing the development of the digital society requires the combination of higher digital knowledge in society, the share of the population without information security problems, and the share of the population aged 15–74 using the Internet on a daily basis, at which point the maximum growth of the balanced financial results of companies’ activities and higher scores in the Index of Economic Freedom and Global Competitiveness Index are achieved.

Policy implications for managing the development of the digital society and optimizing capitalism 4.0 in Russia

In order to determine perspectives on how to manage the development of the digital society to optimize capitalism 4.0 in Russia with the help of the ‘Solution search’ function (a special function from the ‘Analysis package’) in Microsoft Excel by the simplex method, given the limitations (factor variables should not be lower than in 2020; all variables that are measured in per cent should not exceed 100), we set the target (optimization) values of the indicators for the digital society at a level that allows for the maximum growth of the manifestations of capitalism in Russia to be achieved by 2024 (the end of the digital reformation of the economy) (Fig. 6 ).

Source: Calculated and built by the authors.

As shown in Fig. 6 , the maximum growth of the manifestations of capitalism in Russia based on the development of the digital society is as follows: the balanced financial results of companies could be increased from RUB 23.35 million in 2020 to RUB 26.52 million in 2024, i.e., by 13.58%; the Index of Economic Freedom could grow from 61 points to 68.74 points, i.e., by 12.69%; The Global Competitiveness Index score could increase from 67.82 points to 98.65 points, i.e., by 45.47%; and the aggregate (summed) growth of all manifestations of capitalism in Russia could rise by 71.75%.

In order for this to happen, the indicators for the digital society need to have the following values: digital knowledge in society should grow from 75.96 points to 83 points, i.e., by 9.26%; the share of the population without information security problems needs to grow from 71.01% to 100%, i.e., by 36.96%; The percentage of the population using the Internet daily has to increase from 88.68% to 95%, i.e., by 7.13%; and the share of households with access to the Internet could remain unchanged, i.e., it does not require targeted management for the development of capitalism in Russia.

The following policy implications for managing the development of the digital society in order to optimize Russian capitalism are offered. First, there is a need to solve information security for Internet users in Russia through the adoption of anti-virus protection and personal data protection. Second, the regular use of the Internet by the general population should be supported and stimulated. Thus, we argue that the state should widen the list of provided state e-government services and strengthen protection for consumer rights in e-commerce transactions. Elevating the level of information security for individuals will be an additional stimulus for more active use of the Internet. Third, there is a need to develop digital knowledge in Russian society through widely accessible digital literacy courses. These should be provided as online trainings to allow for maximum accessibility, convenience, and to support the implementation of other recommendations.

Policy discussion of the development of a digital society in Russia amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis caused by the social constraints that have been enacted have profoundly impacted Russian society. The consequences for the development of the digital society in Russia amid the COVID-19 pandemic include the following (Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, 2021 ); (RosBusinessConsulting, 2021 ):

– The portal of electronic public services received huge increases in usage as it effectively became the only option for individuals to access most public services (including the field of housing and communal services);

– Electronic communications have become the predominant form of communication due to the restrictions on the social interactions between people;

– The transition to distance learning has rapidly accelerated, increasing the popularity of digital education, including online self-study and in-home learning, thereby establishing that ICTs are essential to future learning and knowledge dissemination;

– Telemedicine became established with distant diagnoses, prescriptions for treatment, and a process to validate the provision of sick leave;

– Public concern and interest in cybersecurity and the protection of their personal data has increased;

– The legal responsibilities for communications made via the Internet have increased (particularly for online libel), and the legal framework of the Internet has become more dependable.

As a whole, these trends have contributed to accelerating the transition to the digital society in Russia. The policy of encouraging the development of a digital society in Russia amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has shown that ‘capitalism 4.0’ in contemporary Russia is characterized by a set of complex and contradictory features caused by globalization’s new realities for scientific and technological progress and social order.

Responsibility, as a characteristic of production, consumption, and governance, is present among these features. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that ‘capitalism 4.0’ in contemporary Russia implies the need for durable goods and services in both a favorable and crisis economic situation. This is a clear separation from classical capitalism, in which the behavior of business entities is dictated exclusively by the commercial benefits available. Non-commercial (socially responsible) activities are actively carried out in Russia and have received a new impetus for development amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Private enterprises strive to continue providing their products to the market to maintain their reputation; that is, reputation capital becomes of primary importance in such crises.

The features of the digital society also include the increasing value of electronic fund management. Private enterprises are actively pursuing automation based on Robotization, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and other advanced Industry 4.0. Management efficiency and decision-making are a new priority of capital management and a condition for enterprises’ survival in an aggressive market environment. The unpredictability of the restrictions on social interactions—social distancing—requires enterprises to master new modes for the participation of their human resources in production and distribution processes. There is an ongoing transformation underway as business processes and value chains move towards greater automation and remote working and management in this regard.

Finally, the last key feature to look out for is the increasing power of consumers—the digital society—in fund management. The institutionalization of electronic communications and the exchange of information on the Internet in Russia amid the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to forming a new type of consumer thinking. Consumers no longer rely solely on their own opinions when making purchase decisions but seek to study other buyers’ reviews. A lack of feedback on a particular product or service is a signal of uncertainty and risk. Digital marketing is, therefore, now an objective necessity for companies engaged with ‘capitalism 4.0’ in contemporary Russia. Businesses strive to get positive feedback and neutralize negative opinions and reviews.

Thus, the policy for the development of the digital society in Russia amid the COVID-19 pandemic has created new markets and regulatory incentives for the emergence of ‘capitalism 4.0’ in contemporary Russia, and these will continue to develop in the post-pandemic period.

Conclusions

Since the 1990s, a unique model of capitalism has existed in Russia. The influence of the digital society’s indicators on the visible manifestations of capitalism is limited and contradictory. We cannot increase the market share and openness to trade of private companies through digital society development. In this paper, we have documented that the digital society indicators have a diverse influence on other critical manifestations of capitalism in Russia.

However, the advancement of Russian capitalism could be accelerated through the effective management of a transformation to the digital society. This will not require a marked increase in the percentage of the population regularly using the Internet. The process to form the digital society—intensively and successfully managed in countries with mature capitalist systems (e.g., OECD countries)—is ineffective for Russia’s progress and hence does not require effective management.

It has been proven that the maximum aggregate growth of the manifestations of capitalism in Russia based on the development of the digital society is up 71.75%:The balanced financial results of companies could be increased by 13.58%.The Index of Economic Freedom score could increase by 12.69%. Russia’s score in the Global Competitiveness Index ranking could grow by 45.47%.This will be possible if digital knowledge in society increases by 9.26%, information security reaches 100%, and the percentage of the population using the Internet daily grows by 7.13%.

Thus, managing the development of the digital society to optimize capitalism substantiates the uniqueness of the Russian model and its specifics under the considerable influence of rapid advances in ICTs. Our results’ practical value offers the possibility of applying the proven quantitative landmarks and the offered policy implications to manage the development of the digital society to optimize capitalism in Russia between now and 2024.

In addition, the development of the digital society is not the sole factor influencing the evolution of modern capitalism in Russia. One should also pay attention to such factors as the need for digital infrastructure, the broader usage of e-government, and the creation of high-tech businesses.

Al Hajri HH, Al Mughairi BM, Hossain MS, Karim AM (2020) The Covid-19 impacts on organization infrastructure via exploiting society digital illiteracy: the rise of electronics. Eu J Mol Clin Med 7(3):506–510

Google Scholar  

Ali AJ (2007) Creative capitalism. Competitiveness Rev 17(4). https://doi.org/10.1108/cr.2007.34717daa.001

Calvo P (2020) The ethics of Smart City (EoSC): moral implications of hyperconnectivity, algorithmization and the datafication of urban digital society. Eth Inf Technol 22(2):141–149

Article   Google Scholar  

Churchill DW (2003) Customer capitalism. J Constr Market 20(4):381–385. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm.2003.20.4.381.5

Condello A (2020) Interpreting and writing the law in digital society: remarks made on a shift of paradigm. Int J Semiot Law 33(4):1175–1186

Dubiel M (2018) Becoming digital: toward a post-Internet Society. J Enabling Technol 12(3):141–142. https://doi.org/10.1108/JET-09-2018-056

Eze SC, Chinedu-Eze VCA, Okike CK et al. (2020) Critical factors influencing the adoption of digital marketing devices by service-oriented micro-businesses in Nigeria: a thematic analysis approach. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 7:90. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00580-1

Federal State Statistics Service (2020) Regions of Russia. Socio-economic Indicators. https://rosstat.gov.ru/folder/210/document/13204 . Accessed 20 Sept 2020

Gamage S (2006) Leadership in context: the four faces of capitalism. J Workplace Learn 18(5):321–323. https://doi.org/10.1108/13665620610674999

Gamble A (2011) Capitalism 4.0: the birth of a new economy in the aftermath of crisis. Int J Soc Econ 38(4):407–408. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068291111112077

Goisauf M, Akyüz K, Martin G (2020) Moving back to the future of big data-driven research: reflecting on the social in genomics. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 7(55). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00544-5

Hoeyer K (2020) Data promiscuity: how the public–private distinction shaped digital data infrastructures and notions of privacy. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 7(37). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00535-6

IMD (2020) World digital competitiveness ranking 2019. https://www.imd.org/wcc/world-competitiveness-center-rankings/world-digital-competitiveness-rankings-2019/ . Accessed 20 Sept 2020

Institute of Scientific Communications (2020) Interactive statistics and intelligent analytics of the balanced state of the regional economy of Russia in terms of Big data and blockchain—2020 dataset. https://www.archilab.online/en/data/regional-economy/russia . Accessed Sept 2020

Lohmeier C, Kaun A, Pentzold C (2020) Making time in digital societies: Considering the interplay of media, data, and temporalities—an introduction to the special issue. New Media Soc 22(9):1521–1527

Ma X, Li G, Zhou J et al (2020) Family-to-family child migration network of informal adoption in China. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 7(48). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00542-7

Macgregor G (2004) Our modern times: the new nature of capitalism in the information age. Libr Rev 53(4):243–244. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530410531956

Malin J, Brown C, Ion G et al (2020) World-wide barriers and enablers to achieving evidence-informed practice in education: what can be learnt from Spain, England, the United States, and Germany? Humanit Soc Sci Commun 7(99). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00587-8

Mesure H (2008) Creating a world without poverty: social business and the future of capitalism. Soc Bus Rev 3(2):176–177. https://doi.org/10.1108/17465680810880125

Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, Federal State Statistics Service, National Research University “Higher School of Economics” (2020) Information society in the Russian Federation 2019. https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/info-ob2019.pdf . Accessed 20 Sept 2020

Mraović B (2011) A free market capitalism or a speculative market capitalism? Soc Resp J 7(4):578–591. https://doi.org/10.1108/17471111111175146

National Research University “Higher School of Economics” (2020). Digital economy: 2020. https://issek.hse.ru/digec2020 . Accessed 20 Sept 2020

Pedersen JS, Wilkinson A (2018) The digital society and provision of welfare services. Int J Sociol Soc Policy 38(3/4):194–209. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-05-2017-0062

Popkova E, Gulzat K (2020) Technological revolution in the 21st century: Digital Society vs. artificial intelligence. Lect Notes Netw Syst 91:339–345

Popkova E, Zmiyak K (2019) Priorities of training of digital personnel for industry 4.0: social competencies vs technical competencies. On Horiz 27(3-4):138–144

Public Chamber of the Russian Federation (2021) The pandemic has shown the role digitalization plays in ensuring a stable economy and society. https://www.oprf.ru/press/news/2617/newsitem/54744 . Accessed 9 Jan 2021

Ramli T, Ramli A, Adolf H, Damian E, Palar M (2020) Over-the-top media in digital economy and society 5.0. J Telecom Dig E 8(3):60–67

Richardson J (2011) The relentless revolution, a history of capitalism. Foresight 13(4):82–83. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636681111153986

RosBusinessConsulting (RBC) (2021) The pandemic has accelerated business digitalization. https://plus.rbc.ru/news/5f8f191f7a8aa930ddd3c511 . Accessed 9 Jan 2021

Ruiz-Ruano García AM, Puga JL (2020) Some challenges for the human brain in communication with the digital society. Front Psych 11:594941

Schuchard R, Crooks A, Stefanidis A et al (2019) Bots fired: examining social bot evidence in online mass shooting conversations. Palgrave Commun 5(158). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0359-x

Sergi B (2003) Economic dynamics in transitional economies: the Four-P Governments, the EU Enlargement, and the Bruxelles Consensus. Routledge, New York

Sergi B (2009) Misinterpreting modern Russia: western views of Putin and His Presidency. Continuum, New York

Sergi B, Popkova E, Bogoviz A, Litvinova T (2019) Understanding Industry 4.0: AI, the Internet of Things, and the future of work. Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley

Book   Google Scholar  

Sinay L, Carter RW, de Sinay MCF (2020) Correction: In the race for knowledge, is human capital the most essential element? Humanit Soc Sci Commun 7(78). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00559-y

Skill K, Wihlborg E, Kaharevic A (2020) Digital diversity and an inclusive smart society: a novel methodological search for digital participation and sustainable development in a Swedish suburb. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, pp. 843–846

Syed Alwi SF, Melewar TC, Cuomo MT, Schwaiger M (2020) Digital society and corporate reputation: towards the next generation of insights. Corp Reput Rev 23(3):129–132

The Global Economy (2020) Russia: Trade openness, Source: The World Bank. https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Russia/trade_openness . Accessed 20 Sept 2020

The Heritage Foundation (2020) Index of Economic Freedom: graph the data 1995–2020—Russia. https://www.heritage.org/index/visualize . Accessed 20 Sept 2020

van Dijck J (2020) Governing digital societies: private platforms, public values. Comp Law Sec Rev 36:105377

Wijoyo S, Abrianto BO, Aris MS, Nugraha X, Frisa KAM (2020) Digital supply chain mechanism in Indonesian society and industrialization. Int J Supply Chain Manag 9(4):509–518

World Economic Forum (2020) The global competitiveness report 2019. https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-competitiveness-report-2019 . Accessed Sept 2020

Xu Y (2008) Global business citizenship: a transformative framework for ethics and sustainable capitalism. J Manag Dev 27(8):900–902. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710810895695

Yen W-T (2020) Taiwan’s COVID-19 management: developmental state, digital governance, and state–society synergy. Asian Politics Policy 12(3):455–468

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Moscow, Russia

Elena Popkova

Independent Researcher, Moscow, Russia

• Aleksei V. Bogoviz

Harvard University, Cambridge, USA

• Bruno S. Sergi

University of Messina, Messina, Italy

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elena Popkova .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Popkova, E., Bogoviz, A.V. & Sergi, B.S. Towards digital society management and ‘capitalism 4.0’ in contemporary Russia. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 8 , 77 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00743-8

Download citation

Received : 03 October 2020

Accepted : 08 February 2021

Published : 17 March 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00743-8

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

This article is cited by

Change management in agriculture 4.0: sap-lap model in support of sustainable development and food security.

• Aktam U. Burkhanov
• Anastasia A. Sozinova
• Anna L. Shevyakova

Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management (2024)

Target SAP-LAP Model for Sustainable Development of Russian Universities in the Decade of Science and Technology

• Sergey N. Kukushkin
• Svetlana V. Lobova

The World Economy’s Development After the COVID-19 Crisis: Sustainability and Stability vs. Quick Digital Growth

• Elena G. Popkova

Journal of the Knowledge Economy (2023)

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Digital society updates

This page contains the latest updates on the Diploma Programme (DP) digital society course.

The new DP digital society course will be launched in 2022, with assessment taking place in May 2024. This course is replacing the former information technology in a global society (ITGS) subject, which was no longer fit for purpose.

We are in a digital revolution that is changing the way people communicate, create and connect. Digital society invites students and teachers to work together to explore the challenges and changes faced today in technology, media, ethics and policy through conceptual and contextual lenses. 

The entire curriculum and assessment structure has been updated to reflect more timely, relevant and authentic student outcomes. A collaborative process of backward design was undertaken by educators and IB staff to ensure coherent and meaningful connections between the subject design, learning outcomes and assessment objectives.

The subject includes an explicit inquiry model as well as a skills-based toolkit to support student success. Subject topics are open-ended rather than limited and can evolve according to new developments, examples, and emerging technologies. This new subject is adaptable to teacher and student interest allowing for “big ideas”.

Below you will find an overview of the course. For a technical breakdown of the DP curriculum and assessment methods for this course, read the digital society subject brief (SL & HL)(PDF, 452 KB) .

An inquiry-driven approach 

Digital society is driven by a student-centered flexible curriculum model that integrates concepts, content and context through inquiry. Teachers and students are encouraged to let their interests and passions guide their way through the course. 

Digital society students

Digital society students embody attributes inspired by those in the IB Learner Profile . 

Future-ready assessment in digital society 

Digital society assessment prepares students with future-ready skills, knowledge and competencies that are important for their success. 

Paper 1: Making connections 

Paper 1 invites students to "think like a social scientist" by simulating inquiries through dynamic combinations of course concepts, content and contexts. 

Paper 2: Working with sources 

Paper 2 invites students to demonstrate media literacy skills by considering the claims and perspectives of diverse real-world sources.  

Paper 3: Cultivating a challenge mindset 

Paper 3 invites HL students to cultivate a challenge mindset by responding to a proposed digital intervention to a real-world global challenge.  

Inquiry project: Leading and designing a digital design inquiry 

A student-led digital design component investigating impacts and implications of a real-world digital system through first-hand research.  

Future pathways for DS students 

The course prepares DS students for several future pathways in their future studies and work. 

What are universities saying about the subject?

“The Singapore Management University (SMU) practises a holistic admissions process and candidates across a wide range of academic backgrounds, including the IB Diploma Programme, are most welcome to apply. SMU generally does not have subject pre-requisites for our undergraduate degree programmes and will consider IBDP students who have taken any of the IBDP subjects, including Digital Society.

Digital transformation is a key area of focus identified by SMU to prepare its students to be multi-disciplinary in the new economy. SMU offers myriad degree programmes focusing on computer science, intensive programming and technology development, which will nurture students to be valuable to businesses and organisations looking to use technology to stay competitive. As such, we look forward to admitting IBDP students who had taken Digital Society as a subject.”

The Singapore Management University

Extended Essay

Extended essay .

The EE title needs to be accompanied by an Extended Essay Research Question (RQ). You might thinkg that 4000 words is a lot (it isn't!) and subsequently write a very broad research question that addresses a wide range of technologies, people, or areas. Instead, you should narrow down your question and use your 4000 words to reach the appropriate level of depth and detail.

Writing 400 words will be easy if it is a topic that you enjoy, that you are knowledgeable about, you want to study further in university, or are interested in for a potential career

Digital Society Extended Essay Checklist

The following is an initial checklist to see if a topic qualifies for an extended essay:

Are you able to reference social impacts and ethical issue(s)?

Are these issues and impacts caused by information technology?

Do you have sufficient, reliable sources to support these issues and impacts?

Are you able to find expert stakeholders to perform quality primary research?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, you may need to think of a different topic

Assessment Criteria:

A: Focus and Method (6 marks)

B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 marks)

C: Critical Thinking (12 marks)

D: Presentation (4 marks)

E: Engagement (6 marks)

Total marks possible: 34

Extended Essay Advice

#1: write about something you enjoy.

You can't expect to write a compelling essay if you're not a fan of the topic on which you're writing. 

Think about which classes you enjoy the most and why . 

Pick a topic that will help you in your future major or career. That way you can use your Extended Essay as a talking point in your university applications

#2: Select a Topic That Isn’t Too Broad or Too Narrow

There's a fine line between broad and narrow. If there are more than 1,000 books, articles, or documentaries out there on that exact topic, it may be too broad. But if there are only two books related, it may be too narrow.

Try to brainstorm a topic that uses a comparison, many Extended Essays use comparisons in their main arguments.

When choosing a comparative topic, the key is that the comparison should be significant and helps build an argument

#3: Make Sure Your Essay Has a Clear Structure and Flow

The IB likes structure. Your EE needs a clear introduction (which should be one to two double-spaced pages), research question/focus (i.e., what you're investigating), a body, and a conclusion (about one double-spaced page). An essay with unclear organisation will be graded poorly.

The body of your EE should make up the bulk of the essay. It should be about 8- 18 pages long (again, depending on your topic). Your body can be split into multiple parts. 

#4: start writing it now.

Take the Extended Essay seriously!

You will not be able to crank out a 4,000-word essay in just a week and get an A on it. You'll be reading many, many articles (and, depending on your topic, possibly books and plays as well!). As such, it's imperative that you start your research as soon as possible.

Further ideas for finding the right topic here

Topics which are too broad

The effects of e-waste

Social media 

Cyber security / fraud / hacking

Better examples

An evaluation of the e-waste policies of small businesses in Cartagena

The effectiveness of social media for customer relations in the hotel industry in Peru

Notice how the better examples all refer to a specific stakeholder or small group of stakeholders rather than "people", "businesses", or other broad group. Equally the technology which is the focus of the EE is clearly stated, and the aspect which will be investigated ("evaluation of policies", "effectiveness of social media for customer relations").

Other Topics to Avoid

"Laptops in schools", "TikTok in schools", "Social media and mental health" or similar. Often these topics are chosen by students looking for an "easy" option. You will struggle to find reliable research relating to these topics - a lot of information out there is vague and anecdotal and it can be difficult to get a meaningful conclusion. In these cases students also frequently try to interview their friends as primary sources - a sure path to disaster.

Any topic where primary research cannot be performed.  While "Robotics in medicine" might interest a student, finding a doctor who uses robots and is willing to be interviewed is difficult. The same applies to "Computers in space", "Smart homes", and many more. If you cannot find primary research sources, you can't do the topic - it's that simple .

Topics about IT products (e.g. "New iPad released", "Faster graphics card released"). The social impact of these is minimal.

Topics about things which haven't happened yet or have only just happened. How can you find examples if something hasn't happened yet? (E.g: new nano-computers to be released, Saudi Arabia will monitor Blackberry use, Google will release new Google Glasses)

Recommended EE timeline  

Aug : Come up with your final research topic (or at least your top three options)

Sept : 11th Sept Dragons Den to choose a supervisor . Supervisor chosen by Thu 21 Sept

Oct 13: Initial Research Question Deadline

Oct 27: Literature Review Deadline

Nov 16 : Data / Material Deadline

Dec 7: Essay Plan Deadline

Tues 12 Dec: IB Core Day

Summer: Complete your first full draft over the summe r . T his will save you so much stress

March 2nd Year: Turn in your first draft of your EE to your advisor and receive feedback. Work on incorporating their feedback into your essay. If they have a lot of suggestions for improvement, ask if they will read one more draft before the final draft

April 2nd Year: Submit second draft of EE to your advisor (if necessary) and look at their feedback. Work on creating the best possible final draft

May 2nd Year: Schedule your viva voce. Submit two copies of your final draft to your school to be sent off to the IB. You likely will not get your grade until after you graduate

Remember that in the middle of these milestones, you'll need to schedule two other reflection sessions with your advisor

 What is Primary Research?

You must include some primary research in your Extended Essay such as interviews with experts in the field, observation of a process or collecting data, or inventigating appropriate methods based on original sources such as legislation, policies, photographs

Questionnaires or surveys for Digital Society are often poor quality because students think it is OK to send these out to friends, teachers or school. This is not good enough

If you do decide to use surveys, they must be targeted at a specific group e.g. users of a [...] app aged between 60 and 75 who are Peruvian, female, disabled and live in Cusco. How would you send your survey to this type of user?

Consider targetting in terms of age, gender, first language, location, finance, married, single, parents, ability, ethnicity

Further ideas and help on Primary Research at Purdue

Extended Essay Examples

Digital Societies is a new course for this year, so many of the examples written below are for the older version of this course, ITGS (Information Technology in a Global Society)

Extended Essay Example: Impacts of Blockchain

Graded 28/34

Extended Essay Example: Object Recognition Processes

Graded 23/34

Extended Essay Example: I mplementation of New-School Cyber Espionage Techniques

Extended Essay Example: Cookies

Graded 32 /3 6

Extended Essay Example: The Effects of Adblockers

Graded 19 /36

Extended Essay Example: Autonomous Vehicles

Graded 25 /36

EE Research Plan Template

EE Literature Review

Media and Information Literacy, a critical approach to literacy in the digital world

What does it mean to be literate in the 21 st century? On the celebration of the International Literacy Day (8 September), people’s attention is drawn to the kind of literacy skills we need to navigate the increasingly digitally mediated societies.

Stakeholders around the world are gradually embracing an expanded definition for literacy, going beyond the ability to write, read and understand words. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) emphasizes a critical approach to literacy. MIL recognizes that people are learning in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom through information, media and technological platforms. It enables people to question critically what they have read, heard and learned.

As a composite concept proposed by UNESCO in 2007, MIL covers all competencies related to information literacy and media literacy that also include digital or technological literacy. Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO has reiterated significance of MIL in this media and information landscape: “Media and information literacy has never been so vital, to build trust in information and knowledge at a time when notions of ‘truth’ have been challenged.”

MIL focuses on different and intersecting competencies to transform people’s interaction with information and learning environments online and offline. MIL includes competencies to search, critically evaluate, use and contribute information and media content wisely; knowledge of how to manage one’s rights online; understanding how to combat online hate speech and cyberbullying; understanding of the ethical issues surrounding the access and use of information; and engagement with media and ICTs to promote equality, free expression and tolerance, intercultural/interreligious dialogue, peace, etc. MIL is a nexus of human rights of which literacy is a primary right.

Learning through social media

In today’s 21 st century societies, it is necessary that all peoples acquire MIL competencies (knowledge, skills and attitude). Media and Information Literacy is for all, it is an integral part of education for all. Yet we cannot neglect to recognize that children and youth are at the heart of this need. Data shows that 70% of young people around the world are online. This means that the Internet, and social media in particular, should be seen as an opportunity for learning and can be used as a tool for the new forms of literacy.

The Policy Brief by UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, “Social Media for Learning by Means of ICT” underlines this potential of social media to “engage students on immediate and contextual concerns, such as current events, social activities and prospective employment.

UNESCO MIL CLICKS - To think critically and click wisely

For this reason, UNESCO initiated a social media innovation on Media and Information Literacy, MIL CLICKS (Media and Information Literacy: Critical-thinking, Creativity, Literacy, Intercultural, Citizenship, Knowledge and Sustainability).

MIL CLICKS is a way for people to acquire MIL competencies in their normal, day-to-day use of the Internet and social media. To think critically and click wisely. This is an unstructured approach, non-formal way of learning, using organic methods in an online environment of play, connecting and socializing.  

MIL as a tool for sustainable development

In the global, sustainable context, MIL competencies are indispensable to the critical understanding and engagement in development of democratic participation, sustainable societies, building trust in media, good governance and peacebuilding. A recent UNESCO publication described the high relevance of MIL for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Citizen's engagement in open development in connection with the SDGs are mediated by media and information providers including those on the Internet, as well as by their level of media and information literacy. It is on this basis that UNESCO, as part of its comprehensive MIL programme, has set up a MOOC on MIL,” says Alton Grizzle, UNESCO Programme Specialist. 

UNESCO’s comprehensive MIL programme

UNESCO has been continuously developing MIL programme that has many aspects. MIL policies and strategies are needed and should be dovetailed with existing education, media, ICT, information, youth and culture policies.

The first step on this road from policy to action is to increase the number of MIL teachers and educators in formal and non-formal educational setting. This is why UNESCO has prepared a model Media and Information Literacy Curriculum for Teachers , which has been designed in an international context, through an all-inclusive, non-prescriptive approach and with adaptation in mind.

The mass media and information intermediaries can all assist in ensuring the permanence of MIL issues in the public. They can also highly contribute to all citizens in receiving information and media competencies. Guideline for Broadcasters on Promoting User-generated Content and Media and Information Literacy , prepared by UNESCO and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association offers some insight in this direction.

UNESCO will be highlighting the need to build bridges between learning in the classroom and learning outside of the classroom through MIL at the Global MIL Week 2017 . Global MIL Week will be celebrated globally from 25 October to 5 November 2017 under the theme: “Media and Information Literacy in Critical Times: Re-imagining Ways of Learning and Information Environments”. The Global MIL Feature Conference will be held in Jamaica under the same theme from 24 to 27 October 2017, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, hosted by The University of the West Indies (UWI).

Alton Grizzle , Programme Specialist – Media Development and Society Section

More on this subject

Event International Conference of the Memory of the World Programme, incorporating the 4th Global Policy Forum 28 October 2024 - 29 October 2024

Other recent news

DIGITAL SOCIETY

Digital Society Assessment

Assessment is an integral part of learning and teaching in the IB DP Digital Society course. The aims of assessment are to support and encourage student learning. The approach to assessment is criterion-related which judges students’ work by their performance in relation to identified levels of attainment. ​

Standard Level (SL) Assessment Outline

External Assessment TOTAL = 2 hours 45 minutes examination = 64 marks = 70%

Paper 1 = 1 hour 30 minutes = 40 marks = 40%

Paper 2 = 1 hour 15 minutes = 24 marks = 30%

Internal Assessment TOTAL = 30 hours Inquiry Project = 24 marks = 30%

1,500 words + 10-minute multimedia presentation

TOTAL MARKS = 88

Higher Level (HL) Assessment Outline

External Assessment TOTAL = 4 hours 45 minutes examination = 106 marks = 80%

Paper 1 = 2 hours 15 minutes = 52 marks = 35%

Paper 2 = 1 hour 15 minutes = 24 marks = 20%

Paper 3 = 1 hour 15 minutes = 30 marks = 25%

Internal Assessment TOTAL = 30 hours Inquiry Project = 24 marks = 20%

1, 500 words + 10-minute multimedia presentation

TOTAL MARK = 130

External Assessment Markbands

Paper 1 markscheme for part c (sl & hl).

Marks for part c are allocated using markbands. While level descriptors are written in the form of individual bullet points, markbands are applied holistically using a best-fit approach.

The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors

The response shows limited understanding of the demands of the question

There is limited relevant knowledge. The response is descriptive and consists mostly of unsupported generalizations

The response has limited organization or is only a list of items

The response shows some understanding of the demands of the question

Some relevant knowledge is demonstrated, but this is not always accurate and may not be used appropriately or effectively. The response moves beyond description to include some analysis, but this is not always sustained or effective

The response is partially organized

The response shows adequate understanding of the demands of the question

The response demonstrates adequate and effective analysis supported with relevant and accurate knowledge

The response is adequately organized

The response is focused and demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the demands of the question

The response demonstrates evaluation and synthesis that is effectively and consistently supported with relevant and accurate knowledge

The response is well-structured and effectively organized

Paper 1 Markscheme for Section B (HL)

Marks for Section B are allocated using markbands. While level descriptors are written in the form of individual bullet points, markbands are applied holistically using a best-fit approach.

The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below

The response shows a limited understanding of the demands of the question

Counter-claims are not considered or addressed

The response has limited organization

Some relevant knowledge demonstrated but this is not always accurate and may not be used appropriately or effectively. The response is primarily descriptive with some analysis, but this is not sustained

Counter-claims are only partially addressed

Response demonstrates adequate and effective analysis supported with relevant and accurate knowledge

Counter-claims are adequately addressed

10–12

The response is focused and shows an in-depth understanding of the demands of the question

Response demonstrates evaluation and synthesis that is effectively and consistently supported with relevant and accurate knowledge

Counter-claims are effectively addressed in the response

Paper 2 Markscheme for Question 4 (SL & HL)

Marks for question 4 are allocated using markbands. While level descriptors are written in the form of individual bullet points, markbands are applied holistically using a best-fit approach.

There is limited relevant knowledge

Evidence from sources is not integrated with the response

The response shows a limited understanding of the demands of the question​

​The response shows some understanding of the demands of the question

Some knowledge is demonstrated but this is not always relevant or accurate

Evidence from sources is partially integrated into the response

​The response shows adequate understanding of the demands of the question

Relevant and accurate knowledge is demonstrated with some lapses

There is adequate integration of evidence from the sources, but this is not always sustained

​The response is focused and shows an in-depth understanding of the demands of the question

Relevant and accurate knowledge is demonstrated throughout, adding insight to the response

There is consistent and effective integration of evidence from the sources

The response is well-structured and effectively organized​

Paper 3 Markscheme for Question 3 (HL)

In addition to paper-specific analytic markschemes used for all questions, marks for question 3 are also allocated using markbands. While level descriptors are written in the form of individual bullet points, markbands are applied holistically using a best fit approach.

The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.

The response shows a limited understanding of the demands of the question.

Response is of limited relevance. The response is descriptive and consists mostly of unsupported generalizations.

The response has limited organization.

The response shows some understanding of the demands of the question.

The response is primarily descriptive with some evaluation demonstrated but this is not sustained or fully supported.

The response is partially organized.

The response shows adequate understanding of the demands of the question.

Response demonstrates adequate evaluation that is relevant and supported.

The response is adequately organized.

The response is focused and shows an in-depth understanding of the demands of the question.

Response demonstrates sustained evaluation that is relevant and well-supported throughout.

The response is well-structured and effectively organized.

Paper 3 Markscheme for Question 4 (HL)

Marks for Question 4 are allocated using markbands. While level descriptors are written in the form of individual bullet points, markbands are applied holistically using a best-fit approach.

The response consists mostly of unsupported generalizations with limited relevant knowledge

No recommendations are presented or those that are presented have only limited support

The response demonstrates some knowledge, but this is not always relevant or accurate and may not be used appropriately or effectively

Recommendations are presented with some support although this is not sustained and only partially effective

Response is adequately supported with relevant and accurate knowledge

Recommendations are presented and effectively supported

Response is well-supported throughout with relevant and accurate knowledge

Recommendations are presented and well-supported with a clear consideration of possible trade-offs and implications

Internal Assessment (SL & HL)

Criterion a: inquiry focus (3 marks).

Project element: Inquiry process document The inquiry process document demonstrates provides an inquiry focus with an explanation of the connection between the inquiry question, a specific, relevant real-world example as well as course concepts, content and contexts.

The focus is limited and/or incomplete.

The focus does not include all required elements and/or the real-world example is not specific or relevant to the inquiry.

The focus is adequate.

The focus includes an inquiry question and a partial explanation of its connection to a specific, relevant real-world example and course concepts, content and contexts.

The focus is appropriate and targeted.

The focus includes an inquiry question and a thorough explanation of its connection to a specific, relevant real-world example and course concepts, content and contexts.

Criterion B: Claims and perspectives (6 marks)

Project element: Inquiry process document The inquiry process document demonstrates how research was conducted with a discussion of the claims and perspectives for three sources including a justification of their usefulness in the inquiry.

The discussion of claims and perspectives is limited and primarily descriptive in nature. Fewer than three sources are discussed or there is no justification for their use in the inquiry

3–4 

There is a partial discussion of the claims and perspectives for each source that includes some justification for their usefulness in the inquiry, but this is not fully developed

5–6 

There is a thorough discussion of the claims and perspectives for each source that includes a clear justification for their usefulness in the inquiry

Criterion C: Analysis and evaluation (6 marks) 

Project element: Presentation The balance of the presentation consists of the student’s own sustained and well-supported analysis and evaluation of impacts and implications of the digital systems for people and communities.

There is limited analysis and evaluation which is primarily descriptive in nature or of limited relevance to the inquiry focus

The student’s analysis and evaluation of impacts and implications for people and communities is adequate, but this is not always sustained or well-supported

The student’s analysis and evaluation of impacts and implications for people and communities is effective, sustained and well-supported by evidence

Criterion D: Conclusion (6 marks)

Project element: Presentation The presentation concludes by providing further insight reflecting the student’s new understanding and ideas about their inquiry focus following analysis and evaluation and a discussion of emerging trends and future developments.

The conclusion is limited with little further insight into the inquiry focus. Emerging trends and future developments are referenced with limited or no discussion

The conclusion provides adequate further insight into the inquiry focus with a partial discussion of emerging trends and future developments

The conclusion provides effective and well-supported further insight into the inquiry focus with a thorough and substantiated discussion of emerging trends and future developments

Criterion E: Communication (3 marks) 

Project element: Presentation The presentation supports understandings through organization of ideas and evidence and also a coherent use of media.

Communication is limited

The presentation’s organization and use of media are limited and do not support understanding

Communication is adequate

The presentation is adequately organized and the use of media is at times coherent but this is not sustained or only partially effective in supporting understanding

Communication is effective

The presentation is well-organized and coherently uses media to support understanding

IB Digital Society Grade Boundaries

Demonstrates: conceptual awareness, insight, and knowledge and understanding which are evident in the skills of critical thinking; a high level of ability to provide answers which are fully developed, structured in a logical and coherent manner and illustrated with appropriate examples; a precise use of terminology which is specific to the subject; familiarity with the literature of the subject; the ability to analyse and evaluate evidence and to synthesize knowledge and concepts; awareness of alternative points of view and subjective and ideological biases, and the ability to come to reasonable, albeit tentative, conclusions; consistent evidence of critical reflective thinking; a high level of proficiency in analysing and evaluating data or problem solving.

Demonstrates: detailed knowledge and understanding; answers which are coherent, logically structured and well developed; consistent use of appropriate terminology; an ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize knowledge and concepts; knowledge of relevant research, theories and issues, and awareness of different perspectives and contexts from which these have been developed; consistent evidence of critical thinking; an ability to analyse and evaluate data or to solve problems competently.

Demonstrates: a sound knowledge and understanding of the subject using subject-specific terminology; answers which are logically structured and coherent but not fully developed; an ability to provide competent answers with some attempt to integrate knowledge and concepts; a tendency to be more descriptive than evaluative (although some ability is demonstrated to present and develop contrasting points of view); some evidence of critical thinking; an ability to analyse and evaluate data or to solve problems.

Demonstrates: a secure knowledge and understanding of the subject going beyond the mere citing of isolated, fragmentary, irrelevant or “common sense” points; some ability to structure answers but with insufficient clarity and possibly some repetition; an ability to express knowledge and understanding in terminology specific to the subject; some understanding of the way facts or ideas may be related and embodied in principles and concepts; some ability to develop ideas and substantiate assertions; use of knowledge and understanding which is more descriptive than analytical; some ability to compensate for gaps in knowledge and understanding through rudimentary application or evaluation of that knowledge; an ability to interpret data or to solve problems and some ability to engage in analysis and evaluation.

Demonstrates: some knowledge and understanding of the subject; a basic sense of structure that is not sustained throughout the answers; a basic use of terminology appropriate to the subject; some ability to establish links between facts or ideas; some ability to comprehend data or to solve problems.

Demonstrates: a limited knowledge and understanding of the subject; some sense of structure in the answers; a limited use of terminology appropriate to the subject; a limited ability to establish links between facts or ideas; a basic ability to comprehend data or to solve problems.

Demonstrates: very limited knowledge and understanding of the subject; almost no organizational structure in the answers; inappropriate or inadequate use of terminology; a limited ability to comprehend data or to solve problems.

Digital Society Assessment  Overview

Paper 1: making connections:.

Paper 1 invites students to think like a social scientist by considering different combinations of course topics, simulating the inquiry process.

Students respond to sequentially scaffolded questions that build to and support higher-order thinking.

Students must integrate real-world research and examples.

In section B, HL students are asked to consider powerful, open-ended big questions involving global challenges of importance within digital society.

Paper 2: Working with sources

Paper 2 invites students to work like a social scientist by considering the claims and perspectives of diverse real-world sources.

Students may be asked to analyse and evaluate, for instance, a source’s origin and purpose, the qualitative and/or quantitative methods it employs and/or how well it corroborates findings from other sources.

Paper 3: Cultivating a challenge mindset

Paper 3 invites HL students to cultivate a challenge mindset by responding to a proposed digital intervention to a global challenge relevant within digital society.

A pre-release statement describing the real-world nature of a selected challenge (250–400 words) will be released four months prior to the examination.

Students are recommended to spend about 10–15 hours on extended inquiries based on the pre-release statement. In the examination, students evaluate a specific intervention using a rigorous policy-informed framework and make recommendations for future action.

Inquiry Project: Leading and designing an inquiry

The inquiry project is a student-led coursework component in which students investigate the impacts and implications of a real-world digital system through first-hand research.

An inquiry process document indicates the inquiry focus and addresses the claims and perspectives of three essential sources.

A recorded multimedia presentation conveys the inquiry’s analysis, evaluation and conclusions.

Exam designed to support higher-order thinking 

Examinations focus on evidence of higher-order thinking that integrates argumentation, accurate and relevant knowledge, and real-world examples. Digital society examinations are scaffolded. Scaffolding refers to a step-by-step process during which questions of increasingly complexity build from prior experience towards higher-order thinking. Each question (or set of questions) is arranged in a logical relationship with those that come before and after. In this way, responses to earlier questions support successful responses to later questions.

Digital Society Extended Essay

Criterion a: focus and method.

This criterion focuses on the topic, the research question and the methodology. It assesses the explanation of the focus of the research (this includes the topic and the research question), how the research will be undertaken, and how the focus is maintained throughout the essay.

0  The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below

1–2 The topic is communicated unclearly and incompletely: ~ Identification and explanation of the topic is limited; the purpose and focus of the research is unclear, or does not lend itself to a systematic investigation in the subject for which it is registered The research question is stated but not clearly expressed or too broad: ~ The research question is too broad in scope to be treated effectively within the word limit and requirements of the task, or does not lend itself to a systematic investigation in the subject for which it is registered ~ The intent of the research question is understood but has not been clearly expressed and/or the discussion of the essay is not focused on the research question. Methodology of the research is limited: ~ The source(s) and/or method(s) to be used are limited in range given the topic and research question ~ There is limited evidence that their selection was informed

3–4 The topic is communicated: ~Identification and explanation of the research topic is communicated; the purpose and focus of the research is adequately clear, but only partially appropriate The research question is clearly stated but only partially focused: ~ The research question is clear but the discussion in the essay is only partially focused and connected to the research question Methodology of the research is mostly complete: ~ Source(s) and/or method(s) to be used are generally relevant and appropriate given the topic and research question ~ There is some evidence that their selection(s) was informed If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion

5–6 The topic is communicated accurately and effectively: ~ Identification and explanation of the research topic is effectively communicated; the purpose and focus of the research is clear and appropriate The research question is clearly stated and focused: ~ The research question is clear and addresses an issue of research that is appropriately connected to the discussion in the essay Methodology of the research is complete: ~ An appropriate range of relevant source(s) and/or method(s) has been selected in relation to the topic and research question ~ There is evidence of effective and informed selection of sources and/or methods

Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding

This criterion assesses the extent to which the research relates to the subject area/discipline used to explore the research question, or in the case of the world studies extended essay, the issue addressed and the two disciplinary perspectives applied, and additionally the way in which this knowledge and understanding is demonstrated through the use of appropriate terminology and concepts.

0 The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below.

1–2 Knowledge and understanding is limited: ~ The application of source material has limited relevance and is only partially appropriate to the research question ~ Knowledge of the topic/discipline(s)/issue is anecdotal, unstructured and mostly descriptive with sources not effectively being used Use of terminology and concepts is unclear and limited: ~ Subject-specific terminology and/or concepts are either missing or inaccurate, demonstrating limited knowledge and understanding

3–4 Knowledge and understanding is good: ~ The application of source material is mostly relevant and appropriate to the research question ~ Knowledge of the topic/discipline(s)/issue is clear; there is an understanding of the sources used but their application is only partially effective Use of terminology and concepts is adequate: ~ The use of subject-specific terminology and concepts is mostly accurate, demonstrating an appropriate level of knowledge and understanding ~ If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion

5–6 Knowledge and understanding is excellent: ~ The application of source materials is clearly relevant and appropriate to the research question ~ Knowledge of the topic/discipline(s)/issue is clear and coherent and sources are used effectively and with understanding Use of terminology and concepts is good: ~ The use of subject-specific terminology and concepts is accurate and consistent, demonstrating effective knowledge and understanding

Criterion C: Critical thinking

This criterion assesses the extent to which critical-thinking skills have been used to analyse and evaluate the research undertaken.

0 The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below

1–3 The research is limited: ~ The research presented is limited and its application to support the argument is not clearly relevant to the research question Analysis is limited: ~ There is limited analysis ~ Where there are conclusions to individual points of analysis these are limited and not consistent with the evidence Discussion/evaluation is limited: ~ An argument is outlined but this is limited, incomplete, descriptive or narrative in nature ~ The construction of an argument is unclear and/or incoherent in structure hindering understanding ~ Where there is a final conclusion, it is limited and not consistent with the arguments/evidence presented ~ There is an attempt to evaluate the research, but this is superficial If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered no more than three marks can be awarded for this criterion.

4–6 The research is adequate: ~ Some research presented is appropriate and its application to support theargument is partially relevant to the research question Analysis is adequate: ~ There is analysis but this is only partially relevant to the research question; the inclusion of irrelevant research detracts from the quality of the argument ~ Any conclusions to individual points of analysis are only partially supported by the evidence Discussion/evaluation is adequate: ~ An argument explains the research but the reasoning contains inconsistencies. ~ The argument may lack clarity and coherence but this does not significantly hinder understanding. ~ Where there is a final or summative conclusion, this is only partially consistent with the arguments/evidence presented. ~ The research has been evaluated but not critically.

7–9 The research is good: ~ The majority of the research is appropriate and its application to support the argument is clearly relevant to the research question Analysis is good: ~ The research is analysed in a way that is clearly relevant to the research question; the inclusion of less relevant research rarely detracts from the quality of the overall analysis ~ Conclusions to individual points of analysis are supported by the evidence but there are some minor inconsistencies Discussion/evaluation is good: ~ An effective reasoned argument is developed from the research, with a conclusion supported by the evidence presented ~ This reasoned argument is clearly structured and coherent and supported by a final or summative conclusion; minor inconsistencies may hinder the strength of the overall argument ~ The research has been evaluated, and this is partially critical

10–12  The research is excellent: ~ The research is appropriate to the research question and its application to support the argument is consistently relevant Analysis is excellent: ~ The research is analysed effectively and clearly focused on the research question; the inclusion of less relevant research does not significantly detract from the quality of the overall analysis ~ Conclusions to individual points of analysis are effectively supported by the evidence Discussion/evaluation is excellent: ~ An effective and focused reasoned argument is developed from the research with a conclusion reflective of the evidence presented ~ This reasoned argument is well structured and coherent; any minor inconsistencies do not hinder the strength of the overall argument or the final or summative conclusion ~ The research has been critically evaluated

Criterion D: Presentation

This criterion assesses the extent to which the presentation follows the standard format expected for academic writing and the extent to which this aids effective communication.

Presentation is acceptable: ~ The structure of the essay is generally appropriate in terms of the expected conventions for the topic, argument and subject in which the essay is registered ~ Some layout considerations may be missing or applied incorrectly ~ Weaknesses in the structure and/or layout do not significantly impact the reading, understanding or evaluation of the extended essay

3–4 Presentation is good: ~ The structure of the essay clearly is appropriate in terms of the expected conventions for the topic, the argument and subject in which the essay is registered ~ Layout considerations are present and applied correctly ~ The structure and layout support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the extended essay  

Criterion E: Engagement

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process.

It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, and is based solely on the candidate’s reflections, with the supervisory comments and extended essay itself as context. Only the first 500 words are assessable.

0 The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors, the RPPF has not been submitted, or the RPPF has been submitted in a language other than that of the essay

1–2  Engagement is limited: ~ Reflections on decision-making and planning are mostly descriptive ~ These reflections communicate a limited degree of personal engagement with the research focus and/or research process

3–4 Engagement is good: ~ Reflections on decision-making and planning are analytical and include reference to conceptual understanding and skill development ~ These reflections communicate a moderate degree of personal engagement with the research focus and process of research, demonstrating some intellectual initiative

5–6 Engagement is excellent: ~ Reflections on decision-making and planning are evaluative and include reference to the student’s capacity to consider actions and ideas in response to challenges experienced in the research process ~ These reflections communicate a high degree of intellectual and personal engagement with the research focus and process of research, demonstrating authenticity, intellectual initiative and/or creative approach in the student voice

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Cyber Bullying — Data Privacy: Safeguarding Personal Information in the Digital Age

Data Privacy: Safeguarding Personal Information in The Digital Age

• Categories: Cyber Bullying

About this sample

Words: 626 |

Published: Jun 13, 2024

Words: 626 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof Ernest (PhD)

Verified writer

• Expert in: Social Issues

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 569 words

5 pages / 2400 words

4 pages / 1610 words

3 pages / 1351 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying has become a prevalent issue in today's society, with the rise of social media and digital communication. This form of bullying involves the use of electronic devices to harass, intimidate, or harm others. In this [...]

Cyberbullying has become an alarming issue in today's digital age. With the widespread use of technology and social media platforms, individuals are increasingly vulnerable to online harassment and abuse. This essay explores the [...]

In today's digital age, cyberbullying has become a pervasive issue that affects countless individuals, especially young people. The 2011 film "Cyberbully," directed by Charles Binamé and starring Emily Osment, tackles this [...]

Social media platforms have become an integral part of our daily lives, allowing us to connect, share, and interact with others in ways that were previously unimaginable. However, along with the many benefits of social media, [...]

In conclusion, existing legislation related to cyberbullying has made significant strides in recognizing and addressing this pervasive issue. However, limitations in defining cyberbullying accurately, jurisdictional challenges, [...]

Cyber-Stalking is becoming a larger issue with the drive of social networking and “is a form of repeated harassment that involves the Internet and methods of electronic communication like email, online chat and instant message” [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our privacy policy .

A platform for historians

Community & careers.

The AHA brings together historians from all specializations and all work contexts, embracing the breadth and variety of activity in history today.

Awards & Grants

The AHA offers annual prizes honoring exceptional books, distinguished teaching and mentoring in the classroom, public history, digital projects, and other historical work. We also offer grants and fellowships supporting the research of historians.

Professional and Career Resources

Standards & Guidelines for the Disciplines

The AHA has developed a series of best practices for excellence in professional behavior, research, and teaching.

AHA Career Contacts

Our Career Contacts program arranges informational interviews between current PhD and history PhDs who have built careers beyond the professoriate.

AHA Career Center

Whether you’re looking to find a job or to advertise a position, the AHA Career Center is the go-to hub for connecting with history professionals

Academic Department Resources

History department chairs are on the front lines of the discipline, defending historians’ work and supporting their professional lives at all stages of their academic careers. The AHA strives to strengthen this work and provide resources and opportunities that make chairs’ work easier and valued.

Affiliated Societies

Over 125 history-oriented organizations are affiliated with the AHA, representing a broad network of organizations promoting collaboration and communication across the history community.

Cross-disciplinary coalitions that provide greater access to networks, leadership, and resources that support the AHA’s mission.

Members Making News

Members Making News highlights the accomplishments of AHA members.

Member Spotlights

To recognize our talented and eclectic membership, the AHA features a regular Member Spotlight series.

Where Historians Work

Where Historians Work is an interactive, online database that catalogs the career outcomes of historians who earned PhDs at universities in the United States from 2004 to 2017.

AHA Communities

Members can communicate and collaborate with other historians in this online networking platform.

AHA on Social Media

Follow the AHA on social media platforms to stay up-to-date with our latest news and activities.

Discover Historians and History Programs

Directory of history departments and organizations.

The online Directory provides for detailed searching of faculty/staff and their field specializations, as well as the ability to do benchmarking comparisons between departments.

Directory of History Dissertations

The directory contains the titles of over 60,000 dissertations that have been completed or are currently in progress in the United States and Canada since 1873.

AHA Member Directory

Search the AHA Member Directory by name, organization, city, state, and specialization to get contact information for collaboration and community. AHA members only.

Calendar of Opportunities

Find upcoming grant, presentation, and publication opportunities with the AHA and other organizations.

Join the AHA

Simulation modeling as a means of forecasting passenger traffic at the Moscow Central Ring station

• Altunina, Yulia
• Simonov, Vladimir

The article presents the results of creating a digital twin of the Moscow Central Ring station "Izmailovo" using simulation modeling methods. The study's main goal is to create a formal model demonstrating, at given time intervals, the changes in the objects and processes that make up the model when certain input parameters are changed. The results obtained during the simulation of the system behavior allow for evaluating the effectiveness of the concepts for the modernization of the transport system facility in terms of passenger traffic. The conducted structural analysis of the research object allowed to establish all elements and their corresponding characteristics to create models of the behavior of key objects. Additionally, a 3D graphical model has been developed to demonstrate the behavior of all objects and their corresponding processes.

Election latest: Starmer makes 'Swift pit stop'... at the Eras Tour

The Labour leader has taken a break from general election campaigning tonight - to shake it off at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Listen to the latest Electoral Dysfunction as you scroll.

Saturday 22 June 2024 00:33, UK

• General Election 2024
• Starmer makes 'Swift pit stop'... at the Eras Tour
• Tories raised less than £300,000 in donations in second week of campaign - Labour received £4.4m
• Sunak asked if he's confident no more Tory candidates will be caught up in betting scandal
• Electoral Dysfunction: What are odds betting scandal sinks Tories?
• 'Own it': Corbyn responds to latest Starmer comments
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler

Election essentials

• Manifesto pledges: Alliance Party | Conservatives | Greens | Labour | Lib Dems | Plaid Cymru | Reform | SNP | Sinn Fein | Workers Party
• Trackers:  Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Campaign Heritage: Memorable moments from elections gone by
• Follow Sky's politics podcasts: Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more:  Who is standing down? | Key seats to watch | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency is changing | Guide to election lingo | Sky's election night plans

We'll be back from 6am with all the latest from the general election campaign, with a little under two weeks to go until polling day.

You can scroll back through the page to catch up on what you've missed, or check out our 10pm round-up for a brief look at the day.

Join us on Saturday for another day of live updates.

Slashing red tape for Britain's pubs, restaurants and music venues would be the focus of a review launched within the first 100 days of a Tory government, the party has said.

Ministers would look into ways to "crack down" on councils imposing "disproportionate conditions" and restrictions on licences as part of a bid to boost the UK night-time economy, the Conservatives say.

It comes as Rishi Sunak seeks to shift the focus of the campaign away from the betting scandal that has thrown his party into fresh turmoil in recent days.

The Tories used the announcement to attack Labour's record on nightlife in London and Wales, as polls continue to put the opposition party on course for a historic victory on 4 July.

Business minister Kevin Hollinrake said: "The night-time economy is a vibrant sector that's vital to our economy and our society as a whole.

"We've always supported our night-time economy, with business rates reliefs, economic support during the pandemic - but wherever Labour have been responsible for the sector, it's suffered.

"We'll continue to back our night-time economy - Labour would cripple it further with higher taxes and more burdensome regulation."

It's 10pm - time for your evening election update.

The general election takes place in under two weeks, and political parties from across the House of Commons are busy on the campaign trail.

Here's what you might have missed today:

• Rishi Sunak has reiterated he was "incredibly angry" when he learned about allegations that his own parliamentary aid Craig Williams, who is a Tory candidate, had placed a bet on the election;
• Laura Saunders, the candidate for Bristol North West, and her husband, director of campaigns Tony Lee, are also being investigated by the Gambling Commission;
• David TC Davies , the Welsh secretary, told Sky News this morning that he "certainly" did not bet on the date of the general election;
• And the Conservatives got less than £300,000 in party donations between 7 and 12 June - far behind the £4.3m handed to Labour;
• But a Tory candidate told Sky News tonight that the Conservatives have a "sizable war chest" to run a "decent campaign" this year;
• Mr Sunak's favourability is now at an all time low, with three quarters of Britons having an unfavourable view of him - less even than Mr Johnson's lowest polling;
• The Welsh Conservatives have launched their manifesto today.
• Over with Labour , who - as we just mentioned - have come top of the list for party donations for the second week of the general election campaign.
• And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today said he would not enter negotiations with the Scottish government on an independence referendum if the SNP wins a majority of Scottish seats at the 4 July election;
• Sir Keir has also admitted today that the choice the public faced in the 2019 general election - Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn - "wasn't a good one";
• But he opted to have a night off - at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in London;
•  And Welsh Labour has launched its manifesto today,  with shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves detailing the "simple choice" voters have to face on 4 July.
• Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey today criticised Rishi Sunak's response to his party's betting scandal as "not good enough"; 
• And Plaid Cymru has claimed Welsh Labour's manifesto lacks ambition and undermines devolution. The party said that Labour is imposing further austerity on Wales with £1.8bn worth of cuts to public services.

While you're here, check out more of our election coverage below:

By Rob Powell , political correspondent

The architect of the government's delayed reforms to social care has told Sky News politicians need to "grow up" and tackle the crisis in the sector.

Amid a bitter election row over public spending, Sir Andrew Dilnot said he believed the two main parties were reluctant to discuss care reform for fear of being accused of plotting future tax hikes.

Sir Andrew - whose 2011 report laid out several key measures adopted by the government - described social care as the "biggest risk that isn't managed" that the country faces.

He said: "Four out of five people are going to need  social care  before they die, we should grow up and face it."

"I think politicians are reluctant to talk about it firstly because they're worried about anything that means an increase in public spending and therefore possible taxation," he added.

You can read more below:

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has taken a break from general election campaigning tonight - to shake it off at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

Sir Keir and his wife Victoria joined thousands of Swifties at the first of three Eras Tour shows at Wembley Stadium - which will be followed up by five more in August.

Government borrowing was less than expected in May, new figures have revealed.

Net borrowing - the difference between public sector spending and income - was £15bn, an increase of £0.8bn on the same time last year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported on Friday.

The amount is below the £15.7bn forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and less than expected by economists.

However, it was still the highest amount for the month of May since the  COVID-19 pandemic .

The ONS also said that public sector net debt, excluding public sector banks, was provisionally estimated at 99.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) in May - the highest level since March 1961.

The figure is also 3.7 percentage points higher than during the same period last year.

Economists said it showed that whoever wins the  upcoming general election  will face a string of potential financial challenges.

Nigel Farage has stood by his comment describing Andrew Tate as an "important voice" for men as he greeted supporters in Clacton-on-Sea.

The Reform UK leader had praised Tate while speaking on the Strike It Big podcast in February for defending "male culture" and said the "jury is out" on investigations into the influencer, The Guardian reported.

Since December 2022, Tate has faced charges in Romania of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, which he denies.

Asked whether Tate was an "important voice" for men as he was leaving a meeting with supporters, Mr Farage said: "He's got a massive following and that shows you how big the gap is.

"I mean, clearly he's facing some serious allegations and has said some things that are difficult to level with, but the fact that he's got the following shows you how big the gap is."

Mr Farage did not specify what "gap" he was referring to.

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

It currently shows a drop in support in recent days for Labour and the Tories - with a jump for Reform and the Liberal Democrats.

Read more about the tracker here .

The Politics Hub is live on Sky News every night at 7pm throughout the general election campaign.

But stick with us online - we'll have updates throughout the evening.

Norman Phillips and his wife Ros - who lives with multiple sclerosis and dementia - are the human faces of the social care crisis.

Initially Norman was able to combine work with his caring responsibilities, but as Ros's condition worsened, he took early retirement.

The couple found help hard to come by and after Norman suffered an injury, they were forced to sell their home to settle care-related debts.

Ros is now subject to an NHS continuing healthcare plan after Norman suffered a breakdown earlier this year and authorities decided he was unable to carry on caring for his wife.

This includes around the clock care for Ros - something Norman said would not have been needed if a lower level of help had been made available earlier.

He said: "They've got six million of us unpaid carers. If they… help us, we can help the system.

"But what's happened to me, you know, is the system just kept backing away and backing away until I cracked."

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free