2023, Vol. 14, No. 1. - go to content...

Permanent address of this page - https://sfk-mn.ru/en/13scsk123.html

Метаданные этой статьи так же доступны на русском языке

Full article in PDF format (file size: 385.3 KB)

For citation:

Napso M.B. [Unreliability of information as a risk of the digital age] World of Science. Series: Sociology, Philology, Cultural Studies, 2023, Vol. 14, No. 1. Available at: https://sfk-mn.ru/PDF/13SCSK123.pdf (in Russian).

Unreliability of information as a risk of the digital age

Napso Maryana Bakhsetovna
North-Caucasus State Academy, Cherkessk, Russia
E-mail: napso.maryana@mail.ru

Abstract. The article examines the risks of unreliability of information in the context of digital transformation and the accelerated progress of information and communication technologies characteristic of it, the growth of production, consumption and collection of information, the number of its carriers. Based on the growing influence of information on the formation of tastes, values, guidelines, behavioral attitudes, emotional reactions, stereotypes, the author consistently analyzes the causes and consequences of the demand for unreliable information. In general, the author proceeds from the conviction of the fundamental danger of unreliable information and argues for this approach by the characteristic features of the circulation of information in modern conditions: the mass nature of free production, consumption and accumulation of information, the ease and speed of replication of information of any volume, the availability of technology, barrier-free, free operation of the information context. Among the reasons contributing to the assertion of unreliability in the information space, the author refers to the following: (1) the availability of ample opportunities for everyone to operate with information of any content and volume without significant legal restrictions; (2) the accumulation of large amounts of information, including through «smart technologies» for social monitoring purposes; (3) the approval of clip thinking and how the consequence is the formation of mass superficial perception of information; (4) the abstractness of information as its consistent departure from the concrete historical, situational and meaningful context of its initial appearance, which distorts its true meaning; (5) the collection of «big data» without their verification for reliability and their subsequent use for analysis by artificial intelligence technologies; (6) the established departure from realism in literature, art, the predominance of fantasy genre, and the public consciousness and practice — the replication of near-scientific, pseudoscientific views, occult theory and practice; (7) the philosophy of postmodernism prefers pluralism of subjective perceptions and understandings, «local truths», which «legitimizes» unreliability as a private opinion and deprives the truth of unambiguity and fundamentality; (8) operating in cognitive and practical activities with images on a par with facts; (9) the functioning of the industry for the purposeful creation of unreliable information — constructed fakes. As a result of these and other reasons, the information space presents a diverse set of unreliable information, which allows gradually not only to replace reality with fiction, but also to assert it as truth. Thus, stating the relevance and danger of the risks of unreliability of information both at the macro and micro levels, the author comes to the conclusion that it is necessary to implement the information rights of citizens in the context of threats of «danger from information» and the development of not only legal, but also socio-cultural mechanisms of influence.

Keywords: digital age; information society; consumer society; information; information rights; information technologies; mass communications; fake; self-regulation; data collection; social trust

Download article in PDF format