The Use of Digital Technologies
Digital technologies have given room for meaningful interaction between users from various backgrounds, leading to a resolute social existence. The greatest output of this existence is seen in massive generation of information which offers users desirable service. However, one of the dangers of such information overload is seen in the inability of users to arrive at credible information whenever one is needed. Sites of social media are currently so imbedded in daily lives of people that it is relied for various needs ranging from updates daily news especially on entertainment events, recommendation and reviews (Soto-Acosta, 2020). The paper seeks to address the benefits of digital technologies which includes establishment of social interaction, means of accessing support, and encourages public participation. The paper goes further to addressing implications which are both positive and negative. Finally, the paper focuses of the future concerns of digital features to the general public. The use of technology is seen to pose threat to individuals, private and public organizations, hence creating need for future interventions.
Using the naturalness theory, the use of digital technologies in communication tends to suppress some of the major elements found in face-to-face conversation. Since this is seen to be a common practice in most of the communication platforms, the use of technology creates barriers in information distribution. This is mostly evidenced in complex tasks that need prolonged communication than simple engagements (Soto-Acosta, 2020). Additionally, media richness approach charges the use of digital technology with the complex role of controlling its content so as to avoid complication and sometimes simplification of information (Soto-Acosta, 2020). In this case, the digital media becomes more restricted hence leading to its inability to manage the content.
Benefits of Digital Technologies
One of the major benefits of digital technologies is its ability to facilitate social interaction and empowerment of users. In this regard, digital technologies connect peoples in desirable ways like never before. Its use has enabled people to uphold friendships across distance and time. It enables those that are socially abandoned by their immediate society to interact with other like-minded in the community (Parida et al., 2019). In addition, the use of digital technologies has facilitated interaction of people across cultural, social and religious boundaries, hence increasing understanding.
Moreover, people make use of technology to access empathy and support from family and friends in times of distress. This helps to enrich people relationship as well as their ability to remain connected with family and friends. A pew survey indicates that more than 57% of teens have established friendships through the use of digital technologies, while 83% claim that digital technologies makes them to be more informed and connected with their friends (Parida et al., 2019). For this reason, it is clear that digital technologies ensures formation of desirable support networks and deepens relationships. By enabling social interaction, a digital technology tends to lower stress for some users. A Pew research conducted in 2015 among 1,801 American adults established that digital technologies users do not have high levels of stress as compared to their counterparts (Parida et al., 2019). This makes sense to anyone who performs knowledge work using digital technologies as their aids as it use helps to mitigate issues of stress.
Additionally, digital technologies help in giving people a voice, enhance public participation and enables formation of communities. Although digital technologies as known from history helps in informing the public and drawing its attention on a specific subject, its use also helps to amplify the humanitarian response criteria while ensuring proper support to those affected by crises. For instance, during the Arab spring that was witnessed in 2011-2012, the use of technology helped by drawing global attention for the necessary aid. Through the use of technology, more than $2million was raised in two days to help the Nepal earthquake survivors (Soto-Acosta, 2020). Most of the refugees fleeing from the war that occurred in Syria claim that the use of Facebook and Google maps acted as reliable source of information (Soto-Acosta, 2020). Proper use of digital media enabled them to avoid human traffickers as well as planning the routes for travel.
The use of technology has also facilitated sharing of information across the globe by giving people desirable access to facts, statistics and enabling quick circulation of information. This enables the public to be aware of the existing unfairness and empowers them with the ability to respond in every occurrence (Khan et al., 2020). By the increase in online charities and petitions, cyber experts are able to act and mitigate the probable causes of threats. Through the use of digital sites, most of the people are now trained on how to use video effectively in a manner that helps to uncover abuses of human rights and fight for change.
Digital technologies also help in shifting the mode of working, increasing flexibility and enhancing the productivity for both employers and employees. The digitalization of data and other contents has created chances for where, how and when the work is done. This has the effect of changing the previous nature of the employment. In the contemporary work industry, people are now open to labor at anytime and anywhere by the use digital technologies. Research by Pew center indicated that 21% of workers operate outside their workplaces occasionally while more than 59% exercise that on daily basis (Khan et al., 2020). The use of technology is the major facilitator of this trend as it enables the interconnection of people in different stations.
Implications for Use of Digital Technologies
Increased use of digital technologies and its impact on public engagement has received mixed reaction. Research has established that there exist a positive correlation between the use of digital technologies and election participation and the voting patterns (Khan et al., 2020). Research has shown that the use of the digital technologies tend to influence individuals choice and turnout during election (Khan et al., 2020). This indicates that digital mobilization is effective although this raises the issue of potential manipulation through the use of technology.
Among various implications on the use of digital technologies, its utilization has led to content explosion, accessibility and multifaceted opinions that it exposes individuals to. This has made most of the content consumers cautious on the information source and need to validate every simple detail received and the authoritative strength bestowed upon the source (Khan et al., 2020). The existence of this reality has led to considerable strain on levels of trust accorded to the content ecosystem.
On the other hand, digital technologies can also be used adversely by communities with undesirable intentions to influence followers and spread of propaganda. Although the use of technology offers good opportunity to information sharing for good reasons, it is important to realize that the same can be used to spread malicious propaganda (Khan et al., 2020). This is particularly experienced among extremist who seek to recruit followers in their group. In this case, children and sometimes young adults are among the target groups due to lack of proper network for support.
Future Concerns on the Use of Digital Technologies
Platforms such as You Tube, Twitter and Google normally update their services to restrict the spread of violence threats, contents, criminal activities and other terrorist plans. In the same manner, several digital trainings have been held to help in curbing negative speech and spread of influential information by extremist. However, consistent and strong world connection governance has not been established using the common efforts of all digital stakeholders. This has raised concerns among digital medial users on which sentiments needs to be regarded as fit in the framework of societal values and norms, and what needs to be prohibited (Soto-Acosta, 2020). In this regard, an acceptable discourse in a particularly context would be termed as illegal in another. As a result, global standards will help in establishing guide to ensure freedom of expression and opinion.
The freedom of expression by the use of digital technologies is seen to have received considerable global support. Research involving more than 11,000 participants indicated that 70% of the technology users have freedom to express themselves without any limit, while close to 60% indicated that people are allowed to share some extreme ideas (Soto-Acosta, 2020). This creates a need of determining the extent of one’s freedom so as to prevent any possible harm.
The other issue of concern is the extent to which the use of digital medial alters individual decision while posing danger to the society. In light with the increasing use of digital technologies as a source of information in various sectors, there is need to be clear on how data is filtered to avoid any form of biasness (Soto-Acosta, 2020). In this case, absence of transparency on how systems utilize consumer information to determine the sort of data that a client receives is a major concern.
The other concern relates to the effect of technology on public participation of digital media on civic inclusion and participation. Digital technologies create the need for speedy action coordination. However, efforts to establish sustainable action structures have proven to be difficult (Soto-Acosta, 2020). The other risk is seen on how transitory and shaky virtual society seems to substitute more enduring and robust one. There is a need to ensure proper measures are put in place for effective transition.
Finally, the transformation of service as brought by digital technologies is seen to enhance inequality levels while lowering productivity. In spite of gains by digital technologies in bridging the economic gaps, downsides also evidenced among the upcoming work paradigm. The use of digital technology has raised demand for new set of skills, hence creating room for increased inequality as economy endeavors to adjust to the new work realties (Parida et al., 2019). For this reason, there is need to enact measures that will help reduce such inequalities through activities like gradual training and incorporation of in-service training programs. In addition, there is need to ensure a desirable match in labor industry with the demand so as to enhance productivity.
The future concerns lie in building and creating standards that aim at improving and redefining the experience of digital use. In this regard, public and private sectors are tasked with the efforts of ensuring proper standards are put in place. Public sectors can aid in updating regulations and standards, enforce them to be in line with the existing scientific evidence to enable proper use of digital technologies and restrict adverse effects (Parida et al., 2019). Similarly, the sector can also influence the establishment of social programs and organizations aimed at supporting citizens to cope with already outlined effect of digital technologies.
Additionally, private sectors should also consider individual implications when designing services and creating content. In this case, the market best practices are the most optimal means of ensuring existence of innovative solution. Such practices may include: forbidding minors from accessing destructive information, creating room for free participation, accepting response alongside establishment of desirable discourse with the users. Moreover, private sectors can boost their efforts of ensuring good relation and trust with consumers by becoming more open on the manner in which data is being utilized (Parida et al., 2019). This can be done through demonstration of shared ethos of social accountability and responsibility.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that digital technologies have considerable benefits ranging from encouraging social interaction, soliciting support, to enhancing public participation. On the other hand, the use of digital technologies is seen to have negative influence especially in politics while other sites are used by malicious people to spread propaganda. To ensure proper censorship in the use of digital technologies it is important to sponsor non-profit firms and public organizations that aid in ensuring meaningful utilization of digital technologies. From the perspective of employers, it is required that organizations need to develop effective measures necessary to integrate the use digital technologies into workflows. However, there is a need to have total consideration of the pitfall and opportunities experienced by their businesses as a result of enhanced connectivity.
References
Khan, W. Z., Rehman, M. H., Zangoti, H. M., Afzal, M. K., Armi, N., & Salah, K. (2020). Industrial internet of things: Recent advances, enabling technologies and open challenges. Computers & Electrical Engineering, 81, 106522. Web.
Parida, V., Sjödin, D., & Reim, W. (2019). Reviewing literature on digitalization, business model innovation, and sustainable industry: Past achievements and future promises. Sustainability, 11(2), 391. Web.
Soto-Acosta, P. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic: Shifting digital transformation to a high-speed gear. Information Systems Management, 37(4), 260-266. Web.