impact of digital forms of communication in a global context

• Technological advances 


  Have made it possible for individuals to access more information in different places, eg. home, workplace. People have more choices and more information on lifestyles and cultures all around the world. This had increased the resources available to develop identity.
• Religious practices all over the world


  • Adapt their practices and traditions without needing people nearby
• Traditional sources of identity such as social class have become less clear in the UK - there are blurred lines between each social class
• Gender and ethnicity may become more relevant for someone's identity than social class
• Changes linked to identity

  Increase due to the rise in immigration and the population movement that accompanies globalisation
• Technological advances


  Influence identity
• Identities as 'chosen' not 'given'

  Online identities aka 'avatars' provide opportunities to choose identities, rather have the ones we are given - such as appearances or interests - how people represent themselves - this reveals the information they want other people to 'know' or think.
• Haraway (Chosen identities)


  Cyborgs allow women to transcend their gender to avoid traditional assumptions & engage however they want online
• Ellison (Chosen identities)


  Multiple identities online can be created, & online activities often leave invisible traces which can be captured, tracked, packaged & shared
• Paris Brown - a youth police and crime commissioner


  Resigned due to backlash for things she posted on Twitter when she was 14 as investigations revealed the tweets were considered racist and homophobic.
• Age and digital communication

  In 2014, 62% of adults used a smart phone compared to 54 % of 2012. 66% of adults said they have a social networking site profile 18% of people aged 45-54 use the internet for gaming
• Boyle (Age & technology)

  Each successive generation has a greater reliance on digital communication than the previous onesThere is a 'digital divide' between the young and oldYounger people are more willing to learn the new skills needed than the older generationYounger people rely more on digital communication for peer groups & networks that are influential in their lives
• Why do young people use more digital technology than old

  Parents are spending more money on their children, so young people have greater access to expensive technology. People used to have less money and expensive devices didn't exist. Young people have more free time - usually have less responsibilities. Adults are spending more time using digital forms of communication, but young people still spend more time using it.
• Strengths of age differences between people and using digital communication

  Children can learn valuable new skills, enhance learning and create important connections with people increasing social capital. Support groups and networks which enable children to gain help to gain help in ways which were previously impossible.
• Strengths of age differences between people and using digital communication

  Children are able to access ideas and information quickly, meaning there is less hierarchy in knowledge - in other words there is nothing preventing children learning from a huge array of information on the internet. Children are more likely to engage with political or social issues in new ways which would previously not have occurred, eg. online campaigns and social movements.
• Weakness of age differences between people and using digital communication


  There is a risk of children being exploited online, eg. resulting in sexual abuse. Children may feel greater pressure to conform to societal expectations already perpetuated by the media about body sizes and shapes behaviour, dress and so on which makes them unhappy if they are expected to reach such expected goals.
• Berry (Older users of the internet)


  A lot of older people say they don't have the skills/ interest to use the internet.Content has been made to encourage older people to use it.Only 37% of people above the state pension age have access to the internet at home but 73% below it do: shows the digital divide.
• Evaluation of age and digital communication

  Older people are using digital forms of communication more frequently. They may have the skills necessary to use them now even though it took longer to get them. More people are aware of the media to digitalise - eg. for work and paying bills. There is a wide range of devices available making it more appealing, as well as a variety of things to do - online shopping, games, etc.
• Social class and digital communication

  Devices for digital communication are expensive - tablets can cost up to £1000 with monthly running fees of £60. Parts of the country don't have full speed broadband/wifi. Consumer choice and competition is high - the need to have the latest phone or most expensive brand has become more important in the past. Those who can't afford this are called the 'digital underclass' - they are at an even bigger disadvantages as they have less social capital.
• Digital underclass


  Education and social networks for children now rely on digital communication - many can't afford the devices or the cost to keep them running. A knowledge gap is created between those who have internet access and those who don't as they can't just search for information and quickly access it - People make feel inferior if they don't have the latest devices.
• Digital underclass


  Cultural ideas can be shaped from digital communication as people may be excluded from this and may be unaware of what is happening in society if they are in the digital underclass. There is a digital divide around the world based on social class.
• Martens and D'Haenens (Digital divide)

  In Brussels, lower social class was linked to lower internet use: 81% were users of the internet & only 6% were lower classThose of the lower class who did use digital communication focussed it more on entertainment: 79% owned a game console compared to 65% of middle classSocial class is the most powerful influence on digital communication use.
• Gender and digital communication

  Younger women are much more likely to use DFOC to maintain social relationships where as men use social media for entertainment. Women post more on Facebook than men. 40 million more women than men each month in 2014 visited Twitter.
• Li and Kirkup (Gender & digital communication)


  Male students in both China & Britain were more likely to use the email & chat rooms then womenMen played more computer games than womenMen were more confident about their computer skills than women
• Location vs gender and digital communication

  Gender differences were more visible than cultural differences. People in more developed countries use the internet more - because of their wealth.
• Age and digital communication patterns

  Young people are more likely to use digital forms of communication but more older people are starting to use it more. This is because they've grown up with it, they're more willing to learn new skills and more time to learn.
• Social class and digital communication patterns

  Those with less money have higher rates of non-ppt in digital forms of communication leading to a 'digital underclass'. This is because there are considerable costs linked with digital forms of communication including set up and maintenance leading to increased social inequality.
• Gender and digital communication patterns 


  Men and women use digital forms of communication, the digital world is seen as more masculine, more women use social media than men, gender roles and identities are reinforced. This is because women are more likely to engage with social media, men contribute more to work-based networking sites.
• Locality and digital communication patterns

  Developing countries are increasing their use of digital communication but are still significantly behind compared with the usage of developed westernised countries. This is because globalisation is not occurring evenly, many parts of the world lack internet access and western forms of digital media. They often have considerable start up costs, so poorer people around the world become more disadvantages.
• Turkle (Digital communication affecting relationships)


  There are concerns with the ways our communication tools distance us from one another: we could be in the same room as someone but use our devices to communicate with other people who aren't there - 'Alone together'
• Relationships and digital communication


  Relationships consist of social ties - connections between individuals that link them together. Relationships usually end due to weak ties or people become considered as friends instead.
• Granovetter (Relationships measured through digital communication)


  The strength of our social ties can be measured by these factors:1). The amount of time spent together2). The emotional intensity of the relationship3). The level of intimacy4). The degree of reciprocity
• Zhao (Types of relationships created through digital communication)


  Activities that connect people directly to one another tend to increase social ties & strengthen relationships, but those using the internet don't.
• Kraut et al (Types of relationships created through digital communication)

  Most individuals who use the internet for social purposes are successful in maintaining in person relationshipsOnline ties tend to be weaker than relationships formed in person
• Feld (Types of relationships created through digital communication)


  People use social networks to evaluate themselves & others: identity can be determined by the network of friends they haveOne's social network is directly linked to how many strong & weak ties a person has.
• Positive effects of digital communication on relationships

  An opportunity to meet people Overcome barriers - eg. shyness or disabilities Meet people you wouldn't normally connect with You can communicate from anywhere, to anywhere
• Negative effects of digital communication on relationships

  Making yourself vulnerable, eg. online grooming or catfishing Hard to switch off Lack of privacy People's offline relationships suffer as a result of the time spend on online relationships
• Facebook 


  Influential in helping people finding relationships but also in breaking them up, eg. exposing affairs. Facebook has expanded global relationships.
• Miller (Tales from Facebook)


  Some people believe that the truth of a another person's life lies more in what you see online than face to faceFacebook has become a vehicle for business, the church, sex & remembering people who have passed away.
• Shaw & Gant (Positive effects of the internet)

  Internet was found to decrease loneliness & depression, perceived social support & self-esteem increased