The application of sociological or social psychological theory and practice to the Internet as a source of knowledge and communication is known as the sociology of the Internet (or the social psychology of the internet).
Understanding how digital media are used in daily life and how these diverse technologies affect societal norms, interpersonal interactions, and self-concepts are the main goals of the overlapping discipline of digital sociology. The social effects of technology, including the emergence of new social networks, virtual communities, and modes of communication, as well as concerns about cybercrime, are of interest to sociologists.
Sociologists are interested in the Internet in a variety of ways, including as a research instrument (for example, by employing online questionnaires in place of paper ones), a discussion forum, and as a research topic.
The Internet is the most recent in a string of significant information discoveries. In its strictest sense, the sociology of the Internet examines online communities (such as those found in newsgroups), virtual communities, and virtual worlds, organizational change sparked by new media like the Internet, and broader social change as a result of the shift from an industrial to an informational society (or to an information society).
Through network analysis, online communities can be quantitatively analyzed and at the same time qualitatively evaluated, for example through virtual ethnography. Social change can be investigated using demographic statistics or interpretation.
Emergence of the discipline
The emergence of the Internet is a recent development. It is a revolutionary development that, according to Robert Darnton, “took place yesterday, or the day before, depending on how you measure it.”[1] The ARPANET, which first existed in 1969, gave rise to the Internet, whose name was first used in 1974.
When graphical user interfaces and services like email gained popularity and expanded to reach wider (non-scientific and non-military) audiences and business, the World Wide Web as we know it was formed.[1][2]
Netscape was originally made available in 1994, followed a year later by Internet Explorer. In 1998, Google was established.[1][2] In 2001, Wikipedia was established. In the mid-2000s, there was YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace. Web 2.0 is still in its infancy.
Digital sociology
In 2009, the phrase “digital sociology” first appeared in a scholarly article.[3] The author considers the potential effects that digital technology may have on sociological study and instruction. Richard Neal defined “digital sociology” in 2010 as connecting the expanding academic focus with the growing interest from international business.[4]
The first book solely focused on academic research on “digital sociology” didn’t appear until 2013.[5] The first academic conference on “Digital Sociology” took place in New York, NY, the same year that the first sole-authored book, entitled Digital Sociology, was published[6].[7]
Despite the fact that the word “digital sociology” has not yet entirely assimilated into the popular vernacular, sociologists have conducted research on it.
Cyber-sociology, the sociology of the internet, the sociology of online communities, the sociology of social media, the sociology of cyberculture, and many other terms have been used to describe this and related study.
In contrast to these words, digital sociology has a broader focus and considers the effects of other digital media and gadgets that have arisen since the first decade of the twenty-first century, as well as the Internet and cyberculture.
References to the “cyber” in the social sciences appear to have been superseded by the “digital” as the Internet has grown more prevalent and integrated into daily life. Digital humanities and digital anthropology are related to “digital sociology” and other sub-disciplines.
Social impact
Like Facebook, MySpace, Meetup, and CouchSurfing, the Internet has produced social network services, forums for interpersonal communication, and other tools that support both online and offline connection.
Although researchers frequently discover that even those social links developed in virtual settings are frequently maintained both online and offline, virtual communities were originally assumed to be made up of solely virtual social ties.[8][9]
There are continuous discussions regarding how the Internet affects strong and weak links, whether it builds social capital more or less,[10],[11], how it contributes to social isolation trends,[12], and whether it fosters a more or less diverse social environment.
There is a school of thought that contends that the Internet is a new frontier.
Arizona’s Benedictine University at Mesa conducted a study on the impact of online contacts on in-person encounters in March 2014. “Face to Face Versus Facebook: Does Exposure to Social Networking Web Sites Augment or Attenuate Physiological Arousal Among the Socially Anxious,” is the title of the study, which was published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.[14]
To assess social anxiety, they used electrodes to examine 26 female students. The pupils were shown images of the people they would be meeting before actually meeting them. Researchers found that seeing someone face-to-face after looking at their images increased arousal, which the study connected to an increase in social anxiety. These results support earlier research that indicated socially anxious individuals favor online interactions. The findings acknowledged that the arousal that is induced by stimulation.
Digital Sociology and Data Emotions
Data and data emotions are related to digital sociology[20]. When people use digital technologies that may affect their emotions or decision-making abilities, data emotions may result.
Social media platforms gather user data while also having an emotional impact on them, which results in either social engagement or solidarity among users. Social media sites like Twitter and Instagram have the power to stir up feelings of love, adoration, and empathy.
Through widespread involvement in initiatives like the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge[20] and viral memes that showcase cultural awareness and self-awareness, people have come together. Users who participate in viral events in large numbers tend to share information (data), which has an impact on mood and emotions.
The fusion of these two fields creates the connection between data emotions and digital sociology.
The impact Internet on children
Researchers have looked into how youngsters use technology (as opposed to the Internet) and how excessive usage of it might lead to physical and psychological problems.[21] Children who use technology too much may develop an addiction to it and have severe side effects like sadness, focus issues, loneliness, anxiety, violence, and solitude.[21]
Another effect of youngsters using technology is obesity since they could prefer to use their gadgets than engaging in any sort of physical activity.[22] Parents can exercise control and impose limitations on their kids’ usage of technology, which will lessen any bad effects technology may have if it is emphasized.
Children can utilize technology to improve their learning abilities, for instance, by using internet resources to help them learn to read or do math more effectively. Children’s talents may be enhanced by the tools provided by technology, but they should exercise caution because cyberbullying is a possibility.
Due of the way that youngsters are repressed by those who bully them online, cyberbullying can have an adverse impact on academic performance as well as psychological well-being.[23] Children are not forced to embrace technology when it is brought to them; rather, they are given the opportunity to express their opinions on whether or not they think their technical equipment should be used.[24][need quotation to verify] . Children’s routines have changed as a result of the growing.
Political organization and censorship
The Internet is becoming more relevant than ever as a political instrument. In the United States, Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign rose to fame for its capacity to raise money online, and Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign did even better. Social movements and other groups are increasingly using the Internet to engage in both conventional activism and the new Internet activism.
Additionally, some administrations are going online. Some nations, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, the People’s Republic of China, and Saudi Arabia, censor and filter the content that Internet users can access within their borders. The UK also uses software to track down and detain specific people who they consider to be a threat.
Economics
Although the benefits of Internet-enabled trade have been extensively discussed, there is evidence that some components of the Internet, such as maps and location-aware services, may also contribute to the digital gap and economic inequality.[29] Increases in economic disparity may be caused by the consolidation and demise of mom-and-pop, brick-and-mortar enterprises brought on by electronic commerce.[30]
Philanthropy
Peer-to-peer charities, which let people donate tiny sums to philanthropic endeavors for other people, have found new opportunities as a result of the expansion of affordable Internet access in underdeveloped nations. Small-scale contributors can now send money to specific projects of their choice thanks to websites like contributors Choose and Global Giving.
The application of peer-to-peer lending for charity reasons is a well-liked variation on Internet-based philanthropy. By providing the first web-based tool to publicize individual loan profiles for funding, Kiva invented this idea in 2005.
Kiva raises money for regional microfinance intermediaries, who then post updates and stories on behalf of the borrowers. Lenders can put as little as $25 into the loans of their choosing, and they will get paid back as borrowers make their payments. Kiva is inadequate.
Leisure
Before the World Wide Web, the Internet was a major source of entertainment, with university servers hosting amusing social experiments like MUDs and MOOs and the largest traffic coming from Usenet groups devoted to humor.
Short cartoons in the form of Flash movies are also very popular today, and there are sections of many Internet forums dedicated to games and hilarious films. Blogs and message boards are used by more than 6 million people for communication and idea sharing.
Both the gambling and pornographic businesses have fully embraced the Internet and frequently serve as a significant source of advertising revenue for other websites. Internet service providers have advised governments that despite efforts by governments to restrict Internet porn videos.
Online gaming is one activity for leisure on the Internet. By bringing people of different ages and backgrounds together to enjoy the fast-paced multiplayer gaming environment, this type of leisure fosters communities.
These encompass everything from online casinos to massively multiplayer online role-playing games. This has completely changed how many individuals communicate and pass their free time online.
Online gaming has existed since the 1970s, but the modern forms of the industry were launched by services like GameSpy and MPlayer, to which game players would normally subscribe. Non-subscribers were restricted to particular game kinds or specific games.
Many people access and download music, movies, and other materials from the Internet for their leisure and enjoyment.
Subfields
Lupton (2012) recognized four facets of digital sociology:[36]
Professional digital practice is the use of digital media tools for business-related tasks, such as networking, creating an online presence, disseminating research, and training students.
Analyses of digital use from a sociological perspective: examining how people’s use of digital media shapes their sense of self, their bodily embodiment, and their interpersonal relationships.
Digital data analysis refers to the use of digital data for quantitative or qualitative social research.
Analyzing digital media critically and reflexively while taking into account social and cultural philosophy.