T2 - digital communication

• Digital communication is all forms of communication that use electronic equipment to pass on information (texts, emails, websites, social media) 
• Social media is any form of digital communication that enables one person to speak to many people at the same time (blogs, gaming, social networks) 
• McLuhan

  • Global Village is the idea that the world is more interconnected and therefore the world seems to have ‘shrunk'  
  • We are more likely to know people from across the world thanks to digital communication – geographical distance is no longer a barrier.  
• Giddens

  • ‘Dis-embedding relationships’ means relationships no longer must be face- to- face  
  • People can have close relationships or do business with people online.  
• Castells (positive)

  • Networked global society has emerged, defined as a web of connections which exist online.  
  • The working class can use this to access networking possibilities to gain social capital and improve their life chances – E.g. LinkedIn helps people make professional contacts. 
  • This challenges the old boy's network and suggests society has moved away from an industrial age, power is now in networks. 
• Boyle (positive)

  • Digital networks help people connect through friends of friends or common interests, which increases their social capital.  
• Boyle (negative)

  • Society has experienced media convergence in which the lines between different types of media and how we use it are blurred
  • May limit our understanding of the world as ideas on one form of media are similar to another.
  • E.g. watching movies on your phones or sending emails from your TV  
• Giddens (positive)

  • Digital media has led to the ‘democratization of society’ in where everyone has access to information and anyone can voice their opinions, giving everyone a level of power 
  • 500 million Twitter users and 3 billion Facebook users in 2023
• Miller (positive)

  • People have never had access to such a wide pool of potential contacts 
  • They can now find people with common interests and use digital social networks to find virtual communities, reducing feelings of isolation.  
  • E.g. mumsnet.com where mums can find support 
• Frankfurt School (Marxists)

  • Potential for the working-class to benefit from digital communication has been lost - bourgeoisie are in charge.
  • E.g. China blocks all access to social media and websites that mention free speech.