The Digital Age
Learn about the digital age — the era defined by the internet, smartphones, social media, and artificial intelligence that has transformed every aspect of modern life.
The digital age — the period from the widespread adoption of the internet in the 1990s to the present — has transformed human civilization as profoundly as any technological shift in history. The ability to instantly transmit information, connect with anyone on the planet, access vast stores of knowledge, and automate complex tasks has reshaped economies, politics, culture, and daily life in ways still being understood.
The transformation has occurred in waves: the personal computer (1980s), the World Wide Web (1990s), social media and smartphones (2000s-2010s), and artificial intelligence (2020s). Each wave has been more disruptive than the last. The smartphone alone has put a supercomputer, camera, map, library, and communication device in the pockets of billions. Social media has created new forms of community, activism, entertainment, and conflict.
The digital age raises urgent questions that societies are still grappling with: How should the enormous power of technology companies be governed? How can privacy be protected in a world of ubiquitous data collection? How can democracies survive in an information environment flooded with misinformation? How will artificial intelligence reshape work, creativity, and human identity? These are not merely technical questions — they are among the most important political, ethical, and philosophical questions of our time.
Lessons covering this topic
Browse all lessons →The Digital Revolution
From mainframes to smartphones — technology transforms society.
AI, Automation & the Future of Work
Technology and the transformation of labor.
Social Movements in the Digital Age
From hashtags to history.