Digital Transformation: New Opportunities and Challenges for Democracy?

Abstract

Over the past couple of decades, the Internet has become an essential part of everyday life for the majority of citizens in Western democracies. With the rise of smartphones and “Internet of things” (Internet-enabled devices), the use of the Internet will become even more embedded in the way we live our lives as citizens, families, communities, and societies as we move forward in the twenty-first century. Today, the Internet (along with the rise of digital media) is impacting everything from the way we shop, read the news, and live our everyday lives to the ways in which businesses, parliaments, and governments work, thus altering the fabric of social, political, and economic institutions. These digital transformations have created new challenges and opportunities for politicians, journalists, political institutions, and the (legacy) media from Internet regulation to reconnecting and engaging with citizens and audiences.