Industry Agenda Digital Media and Society

The report examines the shift toward 'hyperconnectivity' driven by the Media, Entertainment and Information (MEI) industry. It identifies a global trend of increasing online time, particularly via mobile devices, and explores how this affects social interaction, work productivity, and mental health. While digital media empowers civic participation and lifelong learning, it also introduces risks such as 'digital gerrymandering', cyberbullying, and addiction. The document calls for collaboration between the public sector, private industry, and individuals to establish ethical standards for data privacy and digital literacy.

• Global digital media consumption is characterized by 'hyperconnectivity', with 3 billion internet users and 2 billion active social media users as of 2015. Mobile devices are growing rapidly, especially in emerging countries where users are "leapfrogging from “no digital use” straight to “mobile use”."
• User engagement is shifting from 'push' marketing to 'pull' strategies. Traditional display advertising is losing efficacy as 35% of global respondents have installed third-party ad-blocking tools, a trend most prevalent among Millennials.
• Digital media has a positive impact on civic engagement and humanitarian aid, enabling the mobilization of resources for crises and the exposure of corruption. However, it also allows for the spread of propaganda and "digital gerrymandering", where content filtering mechanisms target specific information to certain people with discriminatory effects.
• The 'gig economy' and digital talent platforms are transforming work by increasing flexibility and productivity, potentially boosting global GDP by $2.7 trillion by 2025. However, this may cause near-term inequality as high-skilled workers gain more rewards while low-skilled work is commoditized.
• Excessive digital media use is linked to several health and social risks, including 'technostress' caused by information overload and the invasion of work into personal life. There is also evidence of a decline in empathy among college students, with a reported 40% drop over 30 years, primarily occurring after 2000.
• Digital media poses significant developmental risks for young children, including delayed language development and attention problems. Research indicates that children aged 9-18 months do not learn language from educational videos without active human interaction.
• Consumer trust in the MEI industry is threatened by concerns over the truthfulness of content, the integrity of the value exchange, and the security of personal data. 75% of survey respondents believe having complete control over their personal data is important.

APA

World Economic Forum (2016). Industry Agenda Digital Media and Society. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_DigitalMediaAndSociety_Report2016.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Industry Agenda Digital Media and Society. 2016. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_DigitalMediaAndSociety_Report2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Industry Agenda Digital Media and Society |date=January 2016 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_DigitalMediaAndSociety_Report2016.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2016industry, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Industry Agenda Digital Media and Society}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_DigitalMediaAndSociety_Report2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }