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Some Observations on Social Change in the Digital Age

Author(s)

Li Luo, Haifeng Yang, Siqi Chen

Affiliation(s)

Mianyang Cigarette Factory of China Tobacco Sichuan Industrial Co., Ltd., Mianyang, China

Abstract

Digital technology has evolved from a tool into a fundamental environment reshaping society. This study aims to systematically observe how this environmental transformation triggers multidimensional social change. Employing a multidimensional, descriptive, and interpretive observational framework, this paper examines four fundamental aspects: daily life practices, economic labor patterns, cultural knowledge production, and social connection adaptation. The study finds that social change in the digital age presents a comprehensive, intertwined, and inherently tense process. Its core mechanism lies in the reorganization of connections and the deepening of mediation, simultaneously bringing complex consequences such as individual empowerment and new forms of dependence, efficiency gains and attention dissipation, global connectivity and social stratification. This study argues that understanding the ultimate destination of this transformation lies in returning to a concern for human subjectivity, sociality, and critical thinking—the key to building a healthy, inclusive, and resilient digital future.

Keywords

Digital Age; Social Change; Daily Life; Platform Economy; Cultural Transformation; Social Connection

References

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