Change that shows continuity develops from established ways of doing or understanding something, while change showing discontinuity breaks significantly with them. However, a “total break” is rare: in IB Digital Society, whether change is evolutionary or transformative is usually open to debate.
This concept is shared by SL and HL. Under syllabus topic 2.1 Change, change may involve evolution, transformation, adaptation or movement. The key question is whether the new digital system preserves important structures from the past or creates fundamentally different relationships, practices or possibilities.
| Type of change | Key features | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity | Existing purposes, institutions or power relationships remain, although the process becomes faster or more efficient. | Online banking moves established banking services onto digital platforms, but banks still hold accounts, process payments and control access. |
| Discontinuity | Established practices or structures are substantially replaced, creating new possibilities or relationships. | Cryptocurrency enables peer-to-peer transfers without requiring a traditional bank to approve each transaction. |
A development can contain both. Online banking represents continuity in the role of banks, but it may produce discontinuity in customer behaviour by reducing dependence on physical branches. Cryptocurrency challenges traditional financial intermediaries, yet it continues older functions such as storing and exchanging value.
The common misconception is that every new digital system is automatically transformational. Novelty does not prove discontinuity. Students must identify what has changed, what has remained, and which people or institutions have gained or lost power.
Exam technique: For an examine or discuss question, present evidence for both continuity and discontinuity before reaching a supported conclusion about the degree of change. Use a specific real-world example and explain it rather than merely naming it. Examiners reward analysis of relationships and consequences, not a simple label such as “evolution” or “transformation.”
