Developments in digital forms of communication in society.

The Digital Revolution

Refers to the massive and rapid advance in technology which have transofrmed people's lives over the past few decades.
The growth of digital technology has has a huge impact on the way that information is communicated and stored.
It is now possible to share information all around the world.
New forms of digital communication are sometimes known as 'new media' this can include existing forms of media on new platforms (e.g. newspapers on apps).

1 of 4

Digital commmunication has led to an increasing volume of communication which does not inlcude face to face contact.
This has led to the notion of time space compression in which the world is becoming such a smaller place and is shrinking.
This idea is known as the 'global village' which increases peoples ability to create and maintain social relationships with both people they already know or people who live far away who they can only interact with online.
People can communicate with other people with similar interests.

2 of 4

This is a social network of individuals who create an online community which may or may not reflect their offline lives.
This community crosses geographical, political and social lines.
These communities are becoming very complex and even realistic in some cases.
They allow people to share interests and create and transform their identities.
Examples may include - message boards, online chat rooms, virtual worlds and social networks.

3 of 4

Boellstorff conducted more than 2 years worth of fieldwork in Second Life - living among and observing residents.
He generated an avatar called Tom Bukowski ( a different identity), using participant observation and interviews inside the virtual world.
He explored a range of issues including gender, race, sex, money, conflict and antisocial behaviour.
He empahsised that virtual worlds can change ideas about identity and society.
There is very little regulation of online behaviour and since 2007 Belgian polic have begun patrolling the site after a report of a **** add-on.
This raises serious questions about the moral regulation of online forms of behaviour.

4 of 4