Change in digital society is studied through history, science and technology studies (STS), and future studies. In the IB Digital Society course, these are examples of diverse subjects, fields, and professions that help students investigate how digital change develops over time.
This topic is part of 2.1 Change and is shared by SL and HL students. Change means the evolution, transformation, adaptation, or movement from one form, state, or value to another. Each field contributes a different perspective:
| Field | How it studies change in digital society |
|---|---|
| History | Examines past developments, causes, turning points, and continuity. For example, it can trace how networked communication developed and compare it with earlier communication systems. |
| Science and technology studies (STS) | Investigates how digital systems and society shape one another. It considers the roles of institutions, designers, users, values, and power rather than treating technology as an independent cause of change. |
| Future studies | Explores possible, probable, and preferable futures. It uses trends and scenarios to examine the future implications of emerging digital systems without claiming to predict one certain outcome. |
Together, these perspectives help students decide whether a development represents evolution, meaning substantial continuity with established practices, or transformation, meaning significant discontinuity. They also support analysis of the people, ideas, objects, and forces shaping the past, present, and future.
A common misconception is that digital technology causes social change by itself. This is technological determinism. Digital Society instead examines change as the result of interactions among digital systems, people, communities, institutions, and contexts.
For an exam response, do more than list the three fields. If the command term is explain, show how each field contributes to understanding change. For discuss or evaluate, consider competing interpretations of whether a specific digital development is evolutionary or transformative, then reach a supported conclusion.
