Information and communication technologies have caused a stir for several decades now, as new dynamics of sociocultural relations have been generated that present various transformations associated with the possibilities of content creation, consumption habits, and forms of organization and production.
Thus, especially communication processes are increasingly influenced by ICTs1, as they offer multiple possibilities of access to information, but mainly, they provide individuals with the opportunity to overcome their status as recipients of information to become content producers and cultural creators.
In this sense, digital culture is understood as the new form of social relationship and knowledge generation that, after the influence of ICTs, also generates new communicative and social behaviors and manifestations, as well as new forms of knowledge generation in net.
That is why, the feeling of constant change and volatility accompanies the digital culture, since although technology has always caused important changes in the behavior of the individual in relation to his environment, the difference today lies in the speed that the digital age has contributed to human processes. The foregoing, thanks to the beginning of the use of digital media, such as the internet and the web, the computer and mobile telephony in all social, political, economic processes and contexts, etc., Importance that was revealed when predictions were made catastrophic with the so-called 2000 effect, since it was considered that with the arrival of the new millennium the collapse of computer systems would occur, and with it, the disruption of banking and social assistance management systems,general failures of medical equipment, air conditioning, elevators, electrical networks, air or ground traffic systems and the accidental launch of nuclear missiles or failure of any other digital technology system in the world; However, although digital technology did not have any obvious damage to human processes, this fact demonstrated the effect and relevance that the emerging digital culture was gaining.
At present, it is possible to perceive that technological evolution has affected all aspects of life, because with the passage of time it becomes an increasingly common event. Today it is demonstrated that digital technology is no longer just a communication tool, but has become more participatory in culture, and inseparable from the social structure. (Gere, 2010)
Outlook
With the arrival of the new digital age, for several decades an unprecedented technological growth has been generated, which has not only favored the improvement of the quality of services, but the increase in the diversity of information to which it has immediate access, giving rise to what is currently known as the information society and / or knowledge society.
Thus, the techniques implemented by this new digital stage constitute a set of technologies whose applications opened up a wide range of possibilities for human communication and production and marketing processes worldwide. In this sense, the influence exerted by the computer media in all the communication processes and phases, includes the registration, manipulation, storage and distribution of information, whether in the form of texts, still images or moving images, sound or spatial constructions. (Jódar, 2009)
For this reason and as a result, just as energy was the engine of the industrial revolution, today information is the axis on which the so-called technological revolution revolves.
Digital Culture
The technological revolution is a process within history, where a dramatic change to the human way of life occurs, with the introduction of one or more new technologies. Its implementation marks an era of progress, development and innovation in society.
However, after globalization and cultural and communicative liberalization, a new culture of informative responsibility is required, given the iniquitous nature of multimedia concentration that invades borders and the cultural independence of regions, communities and nations. Well, the increasing maturation in the knowledge and use of ICTs has meant the mass transformation of social groups, where the diversity of cultures crosses the great multi-ethnic metropolises. (Sierra, sf)
What does digital culture mean?
In the history of humanity, the trend of social and cultural changes has been repeated from the different eras: agricultural, industrial and information; However, cultural changes have never occurred as dramatic and accelerated as in the last decades, since, ultimately, information and communication technologies have enabled connections more effectively than traditional infrastructures, which has the potential to bring together discussions that were previously separated by social class and / or geography.
Thus, in an emerging context in which computer technologies are central, digital culture is understood as dynamic, since it facilitates the production of new languages, skills, habits, ways of socializing and creating meaning, and transforms the concept of time and space, since the speed of information transmission is instantaneous, causing local events to become global.
Thus, digital culture is shaping contemporary society, giving way to a new set of values, practices, and expectations about the way people behave and interact in society. (Ricaurte, 2016)
Individuals appropriate digital technologies and detonate symbolic and material processes that reconfigure information production, circulation, and consumption systems, that is, institutions, organizations, and social practices transform, determining a new course and nature of social development. and economic. (Ricaurte, 2016)
Going deeper into the above, according to (Ferrari, Nuñez, Sánchez, & Pal, 2010), the term culture refers to the emergence of new means of interaction, new ways of being and of forming communities of interaction. While the digital term is used to contrast with the analogous means of communication. Thus they finally define "Digital Culture" as the evolving use of digital information and as a channel for social and economic exchange mediated by technological devices.
Social implications of digital culture
It must be understood that technological advance must always go hand in hand with social progress, opening doors to new horizons of knowledge and guaranteeing the intellectual maturity of societies.
The debate on the information society tends to focus on issues related to information and communication technologies and the potential of the internet, rather than on the most profound changes that are taking place in the cultural ecosystem of this new context that digital technologies have configured, since culture and communication are two closely related concepts.
It can be affirmed that all the technologies that intervene in the human environment modify it to a certain extent by changing the conditions of existence of the different cultures, making certain practices obsolete or making it possible to achieve those that were previously difficult or not very feasible. However, if the technology in question is a communication technology, then its influence acquires greater resonance, since the user ceases to be a mere recipient of information, a sedentary consumer of traditional media, and takes an active role in the face of a complete offer and heterogeneous content that he can select himself according to his needs.
But emphasis must be placed not only on the effects of the complex technologies that are now used as mere tools that help to overcome certain limitations, but on the changing effects of the ecologies that they foster; Because if we look at the digital environment in which we live today, we realize that we are completely enveloped by the digital technologies that are present in all aspects of our lives.
Currently, digital technology is used almost imperceptibly, that is, it is used routinely in a state of unconsciousness, as it is present in all segments of commerce, financial transactions, traffic control systems, medical equipment or other types, elevators, etc., which are controlled by digital systems. And so, the scope of the presence of digital technologies in our lives suggests the existence of a "digital culture." (Uzelac, sf)
Figure 1. Digital culture in society (Macías, 2016)
Digital culture in the organization
The convergence promoted by the so-called digital revolution constitutes a set of technologies whose applications open a wide range of possibilities for human communication, since the approach between technology and the mass media establishes a new economic, productive and social model that it supposes the appearance of industries, professional profiles and economic models until recently unknown. Therefore, the value of digitization lies not only in a context of comprehensive reorganization of products and content, but also of the ways of working and of the business structure itself. (Jódar, 2009)
Thus, for companies, implementing a digital culture is a necessary challenge that should not be postponed, given the significant impact and value that new technologies and social networks bring to organizations. Meanwhile, some small, medium and large companies have incorporated the so-called “2.0 attitude” into their business project, which implies the adoption of a digital philosophy in their management processes, incorporating corporate blogs, wikis, into their business models. forums, online communities, social networks, and other computer tools.
All of the above, with the purpose of modernizing, promoting information flows, generating participation, receiving contributions from collaborators, facilitating the transfer of knowledge, and finally, improving productivity. (Zapata, 2013)
However, the real change does not come from using social media or computers for example, but from adopting a new perspective and effective culture that drives collaboration, training, customer focus and growth, in a a time of intense competition.
Within this perspective, according to Dr. Richard Foster of Yale University, in the digital age, the long and robust life of businesses is in danger, since it explains that «The average life span of a company with 500 Employees have been reduced by more than 50 years in the past century, from 67 years in the 1920s to just 15 years today. In 2020, more than three-quarters of these companies will be companies we haven't heard of yet. ” Therefore, in addition, organizations should be concerned with adopting a digital culture that allows them to respond to faster changes, having a relentless focus on data and knowledge management that provides them with competitive advantages that keep them at the forefront, since in this times of unstable markets,no company can afford to stay without deploying strategies in this regard. (Marketing, 2013)
Now, in marketing issues, companies are increasingly forced to take into account the expectations of a new type of consumer: one who does not want to be treated as an invisible, anonymous and passive customer, but as an active user of the media, used to creating their own ways of responding to their needs and wants. A situation that is now often addressed by companies through various internet applications, as one of the main phenomena of the so-called web 2.0, a name given to the conception of the network as a space for collaboration and reciprocal communication. Among these developments are social media applications, search engines, new forms of debate and self-expression, such as blogs and podcasts, and new ways of organizing and distributing knowledge, such as Wikipedia,for example. All of them, means that allow the company a new understanding of the ways to make possible its response to the needs of the market. (Gere, 2010)
On the other hand, according to (Zapata, 2013) internally, the organization committed from its philosophy to establish a digital culture, in addition to being convinced of taking care of its brand and reputation online, acquires the following commitments:
They accept that all ideas compete equally: All collaborators have the same opportunities online, since nobody has the power to censor ideas, points of view, or eliminate debates. That is, it starts from a principle of equality where the contribution is more important than the hierarchical position.
S authority and power are shared: In a digital culture, authority is shared and natural hierarchies are created, as collaborators who give quality contributions gain moral authority and prestige. Likewise, leaders do not exercise the role of directors, rather they are trainers and motivators.
S and exchange information and knowledge: In the company that institutes a digital culture, information and knowledge circulate through the established channels and there is full freedom for feedback, since power is considered to come from the exchange of information, but not of its accumulation.
S and encourages collaborative work: The company is promoted to the maximum collective work. For this, collaborators find a digital environment where they can develop their full potential and show their capabilities. Similarly, individual and group efforts are coordinated and channeled, exercising the freedom to establish links and share experiences.
S and encourages creativity and innovation as responsibility: Creativity is no longer limited to a single department, it can emanate from any contributor. The organization knows that the generation and contribution of ideas and knowledge improves debate; therefore, in the company with a digital culture, innovation is continually challenged.
S e favors internal communication with 2.0 tools: Digital culture is based on the efficiency and effectiveness of 2.0 channels that are managed from the internal communication area. And therein lies the importance of taking care of its design, of creating a procedures manual to improve its use, and of monitoring its impact and effectiveness through audits of organizational information systems.
The involvement of senior management: In an organization that is committed to new technologies, senior management is the first to show its commitment to implement and use the best tools that allow the employee to get involved and participate in the business.. (Zapata, 2013)
conclusion
Today we are immersed in a digital, global and hyperconnected world, characterized by continuous and accelerated social and technological change; in which digital culture frames our experience of the world and offers us a set of tools to organize new relationships of interaction, information and global knowledge.
Digital culture is a human creation that emerges from our need to interact as a society, which, through information and communication technologies, allows individuals and groups to create, express and propagate ideas through common digital platforms.
However, as it has been observed, digital culture is not only a product in itself, but the process of creating culture through new technologies. It is not only the expansion of previous forms of interaction and creation, it is a new way of producing social expressions and understanding.
Likewise, in the business sphere, the evolution of digital culture is a process of profound transformation that requires attitudes of change and permanent adaptation to explore new possibilities. Thus, it is evident that the challenge for the sustainability of organizations is to generate an adequate digital culture, requiring professionals with the necessary skills to generate continuous learning, knowledge management and development of individual and collective talent.
References
- Ferrari, L., Nuñez, E., Sánchez, I., & Pal, J. (2010). Digital Culture: A study of the appropriation of technology in Colombia. Michigan, USA: University of Michigan School of Information.
- Gere, C. (2010). From the digitization of culture to digital culture. Digital scientific magazine promoted by the Arts and Humanities Studies, 3 - 7.
- Jódar, J. Á. (2009). The digital age: New media, new users and new professionals. First Electronic Magazine in Latin America Specializing in Communication, 1 - 11.
- Macías, Ó. (September 15, 2016). Iberoamerican teacher ed. Obtained from:
- Sierra, F. (sf). Sevilla University. Obtained from:
- Uzelac, A. (sf). Organization of Ibero-American states. Obtained from
- Zapata, L. (February 25, 2013). Assembled talents. Proposals with knowledge. Obtained from:
Table of Figures
Figure 1. Digital culture in society
Thanks
Special thanks to the research professor Fernando Aguirre y Hernández, professor of the master's degree in administrative engineering attached to the Technological Institute of Orizaba, for the technical contribution to the construction of this article and its direction in the process of learning systemic thinking. Likewise, to the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) dedicated to promoting and stimulating the development of science and technology in Mexico, for financial support for postgraduate studies.
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