Values play a central role in IB Digital Society because digital systems are shaped by human choices, priorities, and beliefs. Every design decision, policy, or algorithm reflects underlying values, whether those values are explicit or hidden. Understanding how values influence digital technology helps students move beyond technical description and toward meaningful ethical and social analysis.
This article explains how values are used as a concept in IB Digital Society and what IB examiners look for when students apply it in exams and the internal assessment.
What Are “Values” in IB Digital Society?
In IB Digital Society, values refer to the principles and priorities that guide decision-making in digital systems. These may include efficiency, profit, fairness, security, freedom, transparency, or wellbeing.
Values shape:
- How digital systems are designed
- What goals are prioritized
- Which trade-offs are accepted
- How impacts are justified
Students are expected to analyze values not as abstract ideals, but as forces that influence real-world outcomes.
Why Values Matter in Digital Technology
Digital systems often claim to be neutral or objective, especially when driven by algorithms or automation. IB Digital Society challenges this assumption by highlighting how values are embedded in technology.
Values matter because:
- Design choices reflect priorities
- Algorithms optimize for selected goals
- What is measured becomes important
- What is ignored becomes invisible
Recognizing these dynamics allows students to critically evaluate digital systems rather than accepting them at face value.
Identifying Values in Digital Systems
One of the key skills examiners look for is the ability to . Students should ask:
