Social values dilemmas of the digital society: Considering the implications of pervasive digitalization

The rapid and wide proliferation of digital technologies and ‘digital first’ ideology has exposed society to significant risks. While useful or even transformative, these technologies often advance without adequate consideration of their societal implications, leading to potentially degraded resilience in social systems and threats to civic and social values. We explore the social values dilemmas arising from societal digitalization, characterized by the tension between the promises of digital innovation and unintended consequences, which challenge foundational values such as privacy, equity, and democratic participation. By critiquing the dominance of neoliberal market logic in shaping digital infrastructure, we reveal how current trajectories can undermine public institutions and exacerbate societal inequalities. Using examples from the embeddedness of digital infrastructures, mass surveillance, and disinformation, we highlight cascading failures that destabilize critical systems and erode social cohesion. To address these challenges, we trace the origins of the social values dilemma to the neoliberal policies of the 1990s and show how these have evolved into existential societal crises in the 21st century. We advocate for a sociotechnical systems approach that prioritizes participatory governance, ethical design, and long-term evaluation of digital technologies. Collaboration among governments, scientific communities, and civil society is essential to ensure digital advancements align with collective social values, mitigate risks, and foster a resilient digital society. By incorporating diverse stakeholder perspectives and embracing both digital and non-digital alternatives, societies can achieve a balanced approach to digitalization that preserves human agency, civic participation and democratic values. • Big Tech’s intrusion in private and public spaces via digitalization poses risks to social values • ‘Digital first’ ideology is driven by neoliberal logic that values profits over civic and social values • Scenarios discussed: digital infrastructures, mass surveillance, disinformation • Digitalization’s social value dilemma needs critical debate and proactive policy-making