IB Digital Society 1.1 What Is Digital Society Key Definitions

A system that represents information as a continuous physical quantity that can take any value, such as a sound wave, a dial, or a mercury thermometer.

A number system that uses only two digits, 0 and 1. Digital systems store and process all data as patterns of these two states.

The smallest unit of digital data, a single 0 or 1. It matches the off or on state of an electronic switch.

A group of 8 bits. One byte can represent 256 different values, enough for a single character of text. Larger data is measured in kilobytes, megabytes, and gigabytes.

Using computing power, storage, and software that run on a provider's remote servers and are accessed over the internet, rather than on your own device, usually paid for as an ongoing service.

A society in which digital systems are woven into everyday life, and the study of how those systems shape people and communities. The term is contested and has no single agreed meaning.

Technologies, applications, and platforms that create, store, process, and distribute digital data and information. Smartphones, social media platforms, AI assistants, and robots are all digital systems.

The use of digital systems to change how an organization operates and delivers value, such as moving sales online or automating processes. It is broader than digitization, which is simply converting analogue information into digital form.

The process of converting analogue data into a digital format that computers can understand and process.

A machine learning application that identifies or verifies a person from an image or video by comparing patterns in their facial features against stored data.

The effects and outcomes that a digital system has actually produced for people and communities.

The opportunities and risks a digital system raises going forward, as distinct from effects that have already happened.

The extension of internet connectivity to everyday physical objects such as lights, watches, and sensors, so they can collect data and be monitored or controlled over the network.

The individuals and groups affected by digital systems, including users, developers, regulators, and those excluded from access. Different people and communities often make competing claims.

A specific, existing instance involving a digital system, used to ground an inquiry. A general category such as social media or AI does not count; the example must be specific and real.