DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN VALUES: A CRITICAL STUDY OF SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
TL;DR
It is argued that technological progress should be evaluated not only through efficiency and innovation but also through its contribution to human dignity, equality, freedom, and social justice.
Abstract
Digital technology has become an important force in shaping contemporary human life, social relationships, cultural practices, and systems of knowledge. The rapid growth of smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, and digital communication has transformed the ways individuals interact with one another and understand the world. Although digital technology offers significant opportunities for education, social participation, cultural exchange, and economic development, it also raises important questions concerning privacy, identity, inequality, human values, and social responsibility. This paper critically examines the relationship between digital technology and the transformation of human values from the perspective of humanities and social thought. It explores how digital platforms influence communication, interpersonal relationships, cultural identity, education, and public participation. The paper also discusses the digital divide, algorithmic influence, misinformation, and the ethical challenges associated with artificial intelligence. Using a qualitative, conceptual, and interdisciplinary approach, the study argues that technological progress should be evaluated not only through efficiency and innovation but also through its contribution to human dignity, equality, freedom, and social justice. The paper concludes that a human-centered digital culture requires ethical awareness, critical education, responsible technological governance, and greater attention to marginalized communities.