Impact of Digital Media on Society
Innovations in technology, particularly in digital media, increasingly are changing the way people use Media, Entertainment & Information (MEI) services. More than this, the very fabric of daily life is being altered. People are interacting and connecting with each other in different ways. Their sensibilities and psychologies are changing. Blurring boundaries between private and professional lives, and the hunger for immediate information are driving online connection time. Trust in individuals’ relationship with digital media has become an increasingly prominent issue. In some ways, new generations are leading the evolution in changing behaviour, but in others, older generations are “catching up” surprisingly quickly.
The World Economic Forum’s Shaping the Future Implications of Digital Media for Society project was launched to provide insights on today’s media, entertainment and information consumer, as well as on the broader impact of digital media use on individuals, organizations and the larger society. As part of that project, the Digital Media and Society report aims to highlight opportunities in digital media that can be encouraged and nurtured. The report also signals potentially negative consequences that need to be tackled – individuals and families can address some; others require the attention of institutions, from schools to corporations, and states to national governments.
Digital Media and Society is based on evidence collected through desk research, project workshops, expert interviews and an online survey. Although the scope is large, it is not intended to be comprehensive. Rather, the report presents a broad picture of developments in digital media and their implications, in order to raise awareness, spark further discussion and stimulate the MEI industry and policy-makers to cooperate in two crucial ways: by cultivating the positive implications of digital media use and by addressing, and then re-dressing, its potentially negative impacts.