Welfare Theory: Social Impact Aspects of Digital Technologies

Abstract

The review and analytical article examines the multidisciplinary concept of “well-being”, redefined from the standpoint of various fields of sociohumanitarian knowledge, as well as the basic theories of well-being. Within the framework of the philosophical approach, three modern groups of well-being theories are characterized: hedonistic, desire theories and objective list theories. In psychology, there are three groups of theories focused on the study of psychological well-being: developmental psychology, personality psychology and clinical psychology. In sociology, the directions of studying the social well-being of the object and the social well-being of the subject are highlighted. Attention is also focused on the actualization of the impact of digital technologies on the well-being of the population, with the allocation of three areas of expert assessments: relative optimism, predominant pessimism and balanced rationalism. The current discursive problems of the impact of digital technologies on human well-being and on the well-being of various social groups are identified. The ambiguity of the impact of the use of digital technologies is considered on the example of two least protected social groups: adolescent children trying to rebuild from their parental family and form their personal decision–making trajectories, and older people, often with the termination of employment, and almost always with a reduction in social ties, health and a decrease in the quality of life. It is noted that the situational use of digital technologies is more significant for hedonistic well -being (gaining pleasure) and to a lesser extent — for eudemonic (as prosperity) significant throughout life. Procedurally-indicates that in the future a low and excessive level of involvement in digital technologies leads to a decrease in the well-being of growing teenagers, and moderately active-to its growth.