Year: 2026
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: This chapter explores the evolution of social norms in the context of the digital age and globalization. It examines how traditional norms are being reshaped by technological advancements, cultural exchange, and the global interconnectedness facilitated by digital platforms. Drawing on classical sociological frameworks alongside contemporary digital sociology, the chapter traces how normative structures that once developed slowly through face-to-face interaction and institutional reinforcement are now subject to rapid, large-scale transformation driven by algorithmically mediated environments.The chapter investigates the role of social media, virtual communities, and online interactions in altering the boundaries of acceptable behavior, while also addressing the impact of global cultural shifts on local norms. It pays particular attention to how platform architectures, content moderation policies, and algorithmic curation actively shape the normative environments they host, often accelerating the diffusion of new behavioral expectations across geographic and cultural boundaries.By analyzing contemporary challenges such as cancel culture, virtual etiquette, and the tension between local traditions and global influences, the chapter provides a comprehensive overview of how social norms are being redefined in today’s rapidly changing world. Special attention is given to the dynamics of norm formation and enforcement in digital spaces, including the role of public shaming, viral outrage, and collective sanctioning as mechanisms of social control.The chapter concludes by reflecting on the implications of these shifts for social cohesion, individual identity, and institutional governance, and calls for interdisciplinary approaches to understanding normative change in an increasingly interconnected and digitally mediated society.
Source: IntechOpen eBooks
Authors: Rooh Ullah, Hazir Ullah
Institutions: Quaid-i-Azam University, University of Chitral
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7214230361