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Societies
Special Issues
Technology and Social Change in the Digital Age
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Technology and Social Change in the Digital Age

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 4250

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Corina Pelau

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Business Administration, in Foreign Languages (UNESCO Chair), Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: consumer behavior; artificial intelligence
Prof. Dr. Judit Olah

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Doctoral School of Management and Business, John von Neumann University, 6000 Kecskemét, Hungary
2. Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: food waste; food supply chain; digitalization; sustainability
Prof. Dr. Dan-Cristian Dabija

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Economics & Business Administration, Babes-Bolyai University, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2. Academy of Romanian Scientists, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: marketing; retailing; strategy; sustainability; consumer behaviour; technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Digital technologies, artificial intelligence and social media platforms have transformed contemporary society. With the development and implementation of new digital technologies and platforms, human activity has changed, shifting towards the digital world and subsequently affecting social and habitual norms. Much communication takes place in the digital realm and can place pressure on individuals to be constantly online and cope with the large amount of information shared. Additionally, emerging intelligent devices are becoming a greater presence in society, taking over the roles that humans hitherto took. Previous studies reveal that consumer behavior and expectations with regard to technology can remain consistent, but as new challenges arise, this introduces new problems to adjust to. 

This Special Issue aims to discuss how developments in artificial intelligence, social media and other digital technologies determine the behaviour of society and the way in which individuals adapt to them. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The role of AI and other new technologies in society;
  • The definition of para-relationships between individuals and AI (individuals and technology);
  • The integration of AI in society;
  • The acceptance of and trust towards AI;
  • Social media and the communication of individuals;
  • Social media and the fake news phenomenon;
  • Information overload in the digital age;
  • Social overload caused by digitalization;
  • Virtual worlds;
  • Agile marketing practices;
  • Artificial intelligence in marketing;
  • 'Liquid' and switching consumption;
  • Consumer behavior evolution;
  • Behavioral insights and consumer psychology;
  • Virtual influencers and digital personas;
  • Data-driven marketing, big data and analytics;
  • Content marketing evolution;
  • Digital transformation in marketing;
  • Personalization and customer experience;
  • Social responsibility, sustainability and ethical marketing;
  • Technological innovations in retail.

We seek articles, conceptual papers or reviews pertaining to the scope of this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Corina Pelau
Prof. Dr. Judit Olah
Prof. Dr. Dan-Cristian Dabija
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • society
  • social change
  • digital world
  • artificial intelligence
  • social media

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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33 pages, 2942 KB  
Article
(Un)invited Assistant: AI as a Structural Element of the University Environment
by Valery Okulich-Kazarin and Artem Artyukhov
Societies 2025, 15(11), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15110297 - 30 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1278
Abstract
In the digital age, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) development has brought about structural transformations in higher education. This study examines how students’ regular use of artificial intelligence tools brings a new active player into the educational process. This is an “uninvited assistant” that [...] Read more.
In the digital age, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) development has brought about structural transformations in higher education. This study examines how students’ regular use of artificial intelligence tools brings a new active player into the educational process. This is an “uninvited assistant” that changes traditional models of teaching and learning. This study was conducted using the following standard methods: bibliometric analysis, student survey using an electronic questionnaire, primary processing and graphical visualization of empirical data, calculation of statistical indicators, t-statistics, and z-statistics. As the results of the bibliometric analysis show, the evolution in the perception and integration of artificial intelligence within higher education discussions, as evidenced by the comparison of network visualizations from 2020 to the present, reveals a significant transformation. Based on a quantitative survey of 1197 undergraduate students in five Eastern European countries, this paper proposes a conceptual shift from the classic two-dimensional (2D) model of higher education services based on university teacher–student interactions to a three-dimensional (3D) model that includes artificial intelligence as a functional third player (an uninvited assistant). Statistical hypothesis testing confirms that students need AI and regularly use it in the learning process, facilitating the emergence of this new player. Based on empirical data, this study presents a hypothetical 3D model (X:Y:Z), where the Z-axis reflects the intensity of AI use. This model challenges traditional didactic frameworks and calls for updating educational policies, ethical standards, and higher education governance systems. By merging digital technologies and social change, the results provide a theoretical and practical basis for rethinking pedagogical relationships and institutional roles in the digital age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technology and Social Change in the Digital Age)
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24 pages, 1892 KB  
Article
Correlational and Configurational Perspectives on the Determinants of Generative AI Adoption Among Spanish Zoomers and Millennials
by Antonio Pérez-Portabella, Mario Arias-Oliva, Graciela Padilla-Castillo and Jorge de Andrés-Sánchez
Societies 2025, 15(10), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15100285 - 11 Oct 2025
Viewed by 533
Abstract
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) has become a topic of increasing societal and academic relevance, with its rapid diffusion reshaping public debate, policymaking, and scholarly inquiry across diverse disciplines. Building on this context, the present study explores the factors influencing GAI adoption among Spanish [...] Read more.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) has become a topic of increasing societal and academic relevance, with its rapid diffusion reshaping public debate, policymaking, and scholarly inquiry across diverse disciplines. Building on this context, the present study explores the factors influencing GAI adoption among Spanish digital natives (Millennials and Zoomers), using data from a large national survey of 1533 participants (average age = 33.51 years). The theoretical foundation of this research is the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Accordingly, the study examines how perceived usefulness (USEFUL), innovativeness (INNOV), privacy concerns (PRI), knowledge (KNOWL), perceived social performance (SPER), and perceived need for regulation (NREG), along with gender (FEM) and generational identity (GENZ), influence the frequency of GAI use. A mixed-methods design combines ordered logistic regression to assess average effects and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to uncover multiple causal paths. The results show that USEFUL, INNOV, KNOWL, and GENZ positively influence GAI use, whereas NREG discourages it. PRI and SPER show no statistically significant differences. The fsQCA reveals 17 configurations leading to GAI use and eight to non-use, confirming an asymmetric pattern in which all variables, including PRI, SPER, and FEM, are relevant in specific combinations. These insights highlight the multifaceted nature of GAI adoption and suggest tailored educational, communication, and policy strategies to promote responsible and inclusive use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technology and Social Change in the Digital Age)
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20 pages, 293 KB  
Concept Paper
Who in the World Is Generation Z? The Rise of Mobile Natives and Their Socio-Technological Identity
by Hananel Rosenberg, Menahem Blondheim and Chen Sabag-Ben Porat
Societies 2025, 15(11), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15110314 - 13 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1604
Abstract
Generation Z is a widely used term in both public and academic discourse, yet its definition remains ambiguous, particularly regarding the factors distinguishing it from its predecessor, Generation Y. Adopting a socio-technological perspective, this article proposes a clear generational boundary, those born after [...] Read more.
Generation Z is a widely used term in both public and academic discourse, yet its definition remains ambiguous, particularly regarding the factors distinguishing it from its predecessor, Generation Y. Adopting a socio-technological perspective, this article proposes a clear generational boundary, those born after 1995, and introduces the concept of “mobile natives” to define Generation Z as a technologically distinct generation in relation to both its predecessor and successor. Unlike previous cohorts, the formative years of this generation were marked by early and continuous exposure, beginning in childhood, to mobile technologies, making the mobile phone the most influential technological experience shaping their identity. Drawing on statistical surveys and previous research, we demonstrate how this shift in the age of mobile adoption differentiates Generation Z from earlier cohorts in terms of socialization patterns, communication practices, and cultural orientations. By framing Generation Z as mobile natives, the article contributes a conceptual and empirically grounded framework for understanding the socio-technological identity of this generation. These findings have important implications for analyzing digital transformation, as well as for understanding the technological, familial, and social habits and traits that characterize this generation in an increasingly connected world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technology and Social Change in the Digital Age)
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