Digital (in)equalities and user emancipation: Examining the potential of Adorno's maxim of Mündigkeit for critical intergenerational learning

The widespread use of mobile technologies has penetrated the lives of people across all age groups with the usage of smartphones and wearables appearing “natural” and without alternatives. The digitalisation of everyday life means that communication and negotiation of social and societal meanings ar...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Miranda Leontowitsch, Friedrich Wolf, Frank Oswald
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Sociology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2022.983034/full
_version_ 1797987137791983616
author Miranda Leontowitsch
Friedrich Wolf
Frank Oswald
author_facet Miranda Leontowitsch
Friedrich Wolf
Frank Oswald
author_sort Miranda Leontowitsch
collection DOAJ
description The widespread use of mobile technologies has penetrated the lives of people across all age groups with the usage of smartphones and wearables appearing “natural” and without alternatives. The digitalisation of everyday life means that communication and negotiation of social and societal meanings are co-constructed by users and mobile technologies thereby blurring the boundary between on- and off-line as well as social and private spheres. At the same time, the global-market logic that has driven the extent and speed of this social transformation raises questions as to how individuals retain influence and agency over the digital technologies that have come to define both social and private spheres and that surround them at all times. Against this backdrop, this theoretical paper discusses the role of Adorno's maxim of emancipation toward autonomy (Mündigkeit) for education (Erziehung) and critical learning about and living with digital technologies. The paper suggests a way forward through intergenerational learning as a didactical method of enhancing emancipation among younger and older generations of “users” in their joint efforts of becoming critical agents in an age of digitally enhanced data markets.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T07:43:50Z
format Article
id doaj.art-5b9e0512524c4ede8ec2d66264006fc1
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2297-7775
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T07:43:50Z
publishDate 2022-11-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Sociology
spelling doaj.art-5b9e0512524c4ede8ec2d66264006fc12022-12-22T04:36:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sociology2297-77752022-11-01710.3389/fsoc.2022.983034983034Digital (in)equalities and user emancipation: Examining the potential of Adorno's maxim of Mündigkeit for critical intergenerational learningMiranda LeontowitschFriedrich WolfFrank OswaldThe widespread use of mobile technologies has penetrated the lives of people across all age groups with the usage of smartphones and wearables appearing “natural” and without alternatives. The digitalisation of everyday life means that communication and negotiation of social and societal meanings are co-constructed by users and mobile technologies thereby blurring the boundary between on- and off-line as well as social and private spheres. At the same time, the global-market logic that has driven the extent and speed of this social transformation raises questions as to how individuals retain influence and agency over the digital technologies that have come to define both social and private spheres and that surround them at all times. Against this backdrop, this theoretical paper discusses the role of Adorno's maxim of emancipation toward autonomy (Mündigkeit) for education (Erziehung) and critical learning about and living with digital technologies. The paper suggests a way forward through intergenerational learning as a didactical method of enhancing emancipation among younger and older generations of “users” in their joint efforts of becoming critical agents in an age of digitally enhanced data markets.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2022.983034/fullpost-digital ageartificial intelligencealgorithmsinequalitieslearningreflection
spellingShingle Miranda Leontowitsch
Friedrich Wolf
Frank Oswald
Digital (in)equalities and user emancipation: Examining the potential of Adorno's maxim of Mündigkeit for critical intergenerational learning
Frontiers in Sociology
post-digital age
artificial intelligence
algorithms
inequalities
learning
reflection
title Digital (in)equalities and user emancipation: Examining the potential of Adorno's maxim of Mündigkeit for critical intergenerational learning
title_full Digital (in)equalities and user emancipation: Examining the potential of Adorno's maxim of Mündigkeit for critical intergenerational learning
title_fullStr Digital (in)equalities and user emancipation: Examining the potential of Adorno's maxim of Mündigkeit for critical intergenerational learning
title_full_unstemmed Digital (in)equalities and user emancipation: Examining the potential of Adorno's maxim of Mündigkeit for critical intergenerational learning
title_short Digital (in)equalities and user emancipation: Examining the potential of Adorno's maxim of Mündigkeit for critical intergenerational learning
title_sort digital in equalities and user emancipation examining the potential of adorno s maxim of mundigkeit for critical intergenerational learning
topic post-digital age
artificial intelligence
algorithms
inequalities
learning
reflection
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2022.983034/full
work_keys_str_mv AT mirandaleontowitsch digitalinequalitiesanduseremancipationexaminingthepotentialofadornosmaximofmundigkeitforcriticalintergenerationallearning
AT friedrichwolf digitalinequalitiesanduseremancipationexaminingthepotentialofadornosmaximofmundigkeitforcriticalintergenerationallearning
AT frankoswald digitalinequalitiesanduseremancipationexaminingthepotentialofadornosmaximofmundigkeitforcriticalintergenerationallearning