Understanding Digital Society
What is digital society?
The study of impacts and implications of digital technologies on people and communities
Name one Digital Society concept.
Change / identity / power / systems / values / Expression / Space
Name one Digital Society context.
Cultural / Economic / Environmental / Human knowledge / Political / Social / Health
What is a network?
A group of connected devices that can share data
What is curated digital media?
Content that is selected, organized, and presented to users by algorithms or platforms based on their preferences and behaviour
What is the digital divide?
Unequal access to digital technologies
What does the concept of “power” refer to?
Control/influence over people or systems
What does the economic context focus on?
Business, work, and markets
What is the purpose of a router in a network?
A router directs data between different networks, ensuring it reaches the correct destination
What is an algorithm?
A set of step-by-step instructions used to solve a problem or perform a task
Give one group affected by the digital divide.
Rural communities / elderly / low income groups
Explain the concept of “identity” in digital society.
Identity refers to how individuals represent themselves in digital environments
Explain what the social context focuses on in Digital Society.
The social context examines how digital technologies influence human interaction, relationships, and social structures
Explain how packets are used to transmit data across networks.
Data is broken into smaller packets, each sent separately across the network and reassembled at the destination
Explain how digital media influences how people receive information.
Digital media allows fast, personalized, and widespread access to information, shaping how individuals understand events and issues
Explain how digital technologies have transformed communication.
Digital technologies have transformed communication by enabling instant, global, and interactive exchanges. People can now communicate in real time through messaging, social media, and video platforms, making communication faster and more accessible.
Analyse how “values and ethics” influence technology use.
shaping what is considered acceptable, responsible, and fair in digital systems. They guide decisions about issues such as privacy, data use, and access, affecting how technologies are designed, implemented, and used by individuals, organizations, and governments.
Analyse how technology impacts culture.
Technology impacts culture by shaping how people communicate, share ideas, and express identity. It enables global interaction and cultural exchange, but can also lead to the loss of local traditions and the spread of dominant cultures.
Analyse how the collection of personal data by digital platforms raises privacy concerns in digital society.
Digital platforms collect large amounts of personal data to personalize services and target users. However, this raises privacy concerns as users may not fully understand how their data is used, shared, or stored, potentially leading to loss of control, surveillance, and misuse of personal information.
Analyse how algorithms can create bias in digital systems.
Algorithms may reflect biases in the data they are trained on or in their design, leading to unfair or unequal outcomes for different groups
Analyse why digital society is constantly evolving.
Digital society is constantly evolving due to rapid advancements in digital technologies, such as AI, networks, and data systems. These developments change how people communicate, work, and interact, while also creating new needs and challenges, leading to continuous adaptation and transformation in society.
To what extent does “power” shape digital systems?
those who design, control, or regulate systems can influence how they function and who benefits from them. Governments and platform owners can determine access to information, set rules, and prioritize content. Users influence systems through their behaviour and participation, making power partly distributed.
To what extent do digital technologies affect multiple contexts at once?
Digital technologies affect multiple contexts to a great extent, as a single technology can influence economic, social, and environmental aspects simultaneously
Analyse how control over networks and internet infrastructure can influence power in digital society.
Control over networks and infrastructure (such as internet providers, platforms, or governments) can shape access to information, regulate communication, and influence user behaviour. This creates power imbalances, as those who control networks can prioritize, restrict, or monitor content, affecting individuals, communities, and even global flows of information.
To what extent does digital media contribute to the spread of misinformation?
Digital media enables rapid sharing of information, which can spread misinformation quickly; however, it also provides tools for fact checking and awareness, requiring a balanced evaluation