Analyse how digital technology is transforming communication, relationships, participation and power in contemporary Australian society.

What this dot point is asking

You must explain technology as a driver of social change, analyse its effects on communication, relationships and power, and assess benefits and risks, with Australian examples.

Technology as a driver of social change

Technological change is one of the main engines of social change. New technologies do not just give people new tools; they change how society is organised. The printing press, the telephone and television each reshaped social life, and digital technology is doing so on a larger scale. By changing how information moves, who can communicate with whom, and how fast, digital technology reshapes work, politics, relationships and culture, making it central to understanding contemporary change.

Communication and relationships

Digital technology has transformed communication. People maintain relationships across distance, form communities around shared interests rather than shared location, and access information instantly. This brings real benefits: connection, support, learning and participation. It also changes social norms and raises concerns: constant connection and curated self-presentation can affect mental health and self-esteem, and online interaction can both strengthen and weaken the quality of relationships. Norms about privacy, attention and what is shared have shifted within a single generation.

The digital divide

Access to digital technology is not equal, producing a digital divide between those who have reliable access, devices and skills and those who do not. In Australia this divide falls along lines of income, age, location and disadvantage, with people in remote areas, older people and low-income households more likely to be excluded. As more services, work and participation move online, the digital divide deepens existing inequality, turning a technical gap into a social one.

Data, surveillance and privacy

The digital society runs on data. Every interaction generates information that can be collected, analysed and used. This enables useful services and personalisation, but it also creates surveillance, where governments and companies can monitor behaviour at a scale never before possible. This raises contemporary debates about privacy, consent, data security and the power of those who control data. Misinformation and algorithmic shaping of what people see add further concerns about an informed public.

Australian examples

The shift to remote work and online learning during the COVID-19 period showed both the power of digital technology and the digital divide for those without reliable access. Online activism and viral campaigns show technology empowering ordinary people. Debates over social media regulation, misinformation and protecting young people show society responding to digital risks. Concerns over data breaches affecting millions of Australians highlight the privacy and data-power dimension.

Connection to the rest of the course

This dot point treats technology as a driver of social change and links closely to globalisation, the media, work and power. It connects to social change and continuity, since technology is a leading cause of rapid change, and to inequality through the digital divide. The social impact of a specific technology, such as artificial intelligence or social media on young people, is a current and evidence-rich issue for the folio and external investigation.