DIGITAL SOCIETY IN THE CONTEXT OF TRANSFORMATION OF THE MODERN MEDIA SPHERE

The purpose of this study is to analyze existing interpretations of the digital society and determine its main characteristics. Methods: The modern social system requires an interdisciplinary research approach. The study of digital society in the context of the transformation of the modern media sphere involves the method of interdisciplinary analysis and synthesis. The work used methods of logical analysis, description, and generalization were used. Results: Agreeing with existing statements, we note that the concept of the information society has not lost its relevance, continues to develop and acquires new characteristics in connection with the processes of digitalization. Given the fact that information is one of the most important needs of a person, it should be borne in mind that a balance is important: a lack and an overabundance of information can lead to negative consequences. The result of these changes is a digital society that is characterized by many contradictory phenomena. And the first of them is the confrontation between the concepts of “information” and “knowledge”, in connection with which, since the second half of the last century, discussions have not ceased about what information has value and what can be considered knowledge, in which case information passes into the category of knowledge. At the same time, it is impossible to deny the significant influence of mass communications on the psyche of consumers of any age, which forms the agenda, universal values, and personalityforming factors. A new type of personality is being formed — the Informational Person (Homo Informaticus), who lives in a fundamentally new society based on knowledge. In modern conditions, when the sensitivity of society to information is high, we can note the negative factor of socio-psychological influence on each individual. Morality, ideology can be destroyed under its influence. At the same time, the availability of information must grow and contribute to the growth of human intelligence.

Keywords: digital society, digitalization, information space, media convergence, Homo Informaticus, media sphere