Digital Sociology

Digital sociology is the study of the changes and transformations brought about by digitalization within the contexts of communication, informatics, data science, economics, and sociology. The fundamental method to be used in these studies is a blend of quantitative and qualitative methods. 

For many years, I have been addressing the importance of informatics concepts in terms of communication. I have been generating thoughts on a chain of concepts that I have tried to explain as an “informatics approach to communication.” I see that one point has remained missing and misunderstood until now: When examining the impact of technology on society and the individual, what we fundamentally do is perceive it as a factor that is outside of us and that affects us negatively. When I say this, I do not mean that we should necessarily affirm technology. 

Technology is a human product and, like other human products such as art or sports, it has been brought into existence through human thought. Again, like other human products, it can have useful or useless, positive or negative aspects. It is not correct to judge and classify technology as a purely beneficial or purely harmful product. 

What is important here is to research the effects of technology on society and the individual by understanding all its components (hardware, software, and network), without forgetting that it is produced by humans themselves.

In addition to the physics and mathematics theories that enable us to use technology (to which we can also include chemistry, biology, and anatomy), there are also sociology, economics, and communication theories. We need to create a blend of all these. None of the theories in the fields I mentioned are sufficient on their own to explain the social and technological interactions we experience today. Communication theories are theories of the electric age (Industry 3.0). The same applies to sociological and economic theories. They were developed to provide answers to the fundamental problems of the 20th century. 

The 21st century is a transition period to Industry 4.0. However, the influence of 20th-century concepts and theories is felt very intensely upon us. You need to reinterpret these concepts and theories with a 21st-century perspective. For this, we need to turn to sociological research, just as was done in studies conducted to examine and understand society at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. But there was an important issue here. While conducting this research, will we use the research methods of the 20th century? 

Today, communities and groups are defined virtually. They can consist of people who have never come together physically. In that case, when researching such communities, we face the inadequacy of traditional methods. We see that the results of 19th and 20th-century research have been theorized and that these theories are still being discussed in the 21st century (without even needing to conduct new research).

In many studies, we frequently read expressions like "this sociologist said this, this philosopher said that." Without questioning the current validity of these statements by conducting scientific research, we repeat them by saying “as so-and-so said.” I describe this situation as “academic gossip.” It is necessary to emphasize that there is a problem in two points here. First, we use the theories of past centuries without re-researching them. We repeat them. Second, when we are going to conduct research, we again use the traditional research methods of past centuries. 

Then, how can we reveal new research areas and perhaps the subjects from which potential new theories will emerge? For this, I suggest turning to digital environments where individual and social lives take place as a solution. I believe that since these environments form intersections where real people live digital lives, they will support the sociological research of this century. It is possible to list these research areas that form intersections as follows. 

1. Digital Transformation and Social Interaction:

   - The Role of Social Media: Examining the impact of social media on people's daily lives, friendship relationships, and the dynamics of social interaction. It may include intra-group interaction and the effects of social media on communication between different segments of society.

   - Virtual Communities: Researching the formation of various virtual communities and how norms, values, and social relationships are shaped in these communities.

2. Online Communities and Identity Formation:

   - Online Group Dynamics: How people interact in online communities and the effects of these interactions on identity formation.

   - Online Image Management: How individuals want to appear in online environments, the decisions they make in this regard, and online identity management.

3. Digital Activism and Social Change:

   - The Role of Social Media in Activism: How digital platforms contribute to activist movements and the impact of campaigns taking place on these platforms on social change.

   - Online Challenges of Activism: The challenges faced by digital activism, the fight against censorship, online reactions, and other ethical issues.

4. Digital Privacy and Security:

   - Online Privacy: How people protect their digital privacy, privacy settings on online platforms, and raising awareness on this issue.

   - Cybersecurity Threats: Security threats encountered in the digital environment, online fraud, and strategies for individuals to protect their personal information.

5. Political Impact of Digital Media:

   - The Impact of Social Media on Political Campaigns: The role of social media in election campaigns, political debates, and the flow of information.

   - Fake News and Manipulation: The impact of digital media on fake news and manipulation, how such content spreads, and how society reacts to this issue.

6. Methods in Digital Sociology Research:

   - Digital Ethnography (Netnography): Ethnographic research methods in online environments and the use of these methods in the field of digital sociology.

   - Data Analysis Tools: Data analysis tools used in digital sociology research and the advantages these tools provide to research.

These details can enable focusing on more specific topics under each heading and can further deepen research on digital sociology.