A general digitalization and social risks

The paper examines the key social risks associated with active processes of digitalization of social and economic life. It is shown that the rapid spread of digital technologies entails irreversible changes that every member of society inevitably faces. The key systemic risks of digitalization are highlighted and considered: the likelihood of imbalances in the labor market leading to an increase in unemployment; the tendency to dehumanize social life and communications, ousting “man” from it; the need to transform familiar social institutions, which can cause social and political upheaval; the trend towards digital segregation of the population, generating public discontent and division in society. It is shown that the scale and speed of digitalization processes make it impossible for society to independently solve these problems. The conclusion is made about the need for active participation of the state in the processes of digitalization and, in particular, the formation and delivery of the “image of the digital future” to the population, as a model of the country's digitalization, which also includes aspects of social development.