Negative Digital Social Class Marxism

Question 1

Mertens and D’Haenens

Answer 1

• Digital Underclass: Mertens and D’Haenens (2010) studied the digital divide in Brussels and found a clear link between class and internet usage - Those from the lower social classes used the internet less (81% were users as opposed to 94% of middle class people)
• They also found a difference of how digital devices were used - Those from the lower social classes used technology as a form of entertainment, whereas the middle classes used devices more to boost their knowledge and to research different information

Question 2

Helsper

Answer 2

• Digital Underclass in the UK: Those who have lower education levels and no employment appear to be those left behind in the growth and use of the internet
• They found that children from poorer homes are becoming victims of a “digital divide” because their parents lack the skills to help them use the internet as effectively as their middle-class counterparts, says research
• Children from better-off backgrounds not only had greater access to the world wide web at home but were more likely to exploit its array of resources

Question 3

Cornford and robins (Marxist 1)

Answer 3

• argue that digital communication is just another way in which we can be ideologically controlled by capitalists who own and control this form of media
• They argue that we are presented with social media in a way that makes us think we have freedom, democracy and equality but it is just another way capitalists can make money and control us
• They state that digital communication threatens individual freedom as information is collected about us through sites such as Facebook

Question 4

Fuchs (Marxist 2)

Answer 4

• states there has been a rise in ‘Big Data capitalism’ - Where even data has been commodified (a product to be bought)…
• explains that surveillance occurs where companies collect, store, control and analyse ‘Big Data’ of internet users
• discusses the importance of the work carried out by Snowden, stating that it did reveal the existence of a ‘global surveillance system’ that secret services use to monitor communication between individuals in real time
• The companies implicated in this surveillance system included internet companies such as AOL, Apple, Facebook, Google/YouTube, Microsoft, Skype

Question 5

Milliband (Marxist 1)

Answer 5

• argues that the media has become the new “opium of the people” distracting the public from real social and political issues through sensationalism and entertainment
• This can be applied to digital communication and “new media” such as socials
• Both traditional and digital media can serve to pacify and manipulate audiences rather than empower them with critical information

Question 6

The snowdon report

Answer 6

• Although The Snowden Report does not directly link to the internet and digital communication, similar effects / phenomena can be seen through the running of the internet
• There are just a few global corporations are the largest earning companies on the internet, that dominate it
• There is a lack of de-regulation - Facebook is a good example of a company who collects and has abused ‘big data’ similar to what was revealed in The Snowdon Report

Question 7

What is Marxist argument 1?

Answer 7

• digital technologies further capitalist exploitation and the maintenance of cultural hegemony/ ideological domination

Question 8

What is the marxist argument 2?

Answer 8

• digital communication provides a new form of surveillance

Question 9

Forbes (Marxist 1)

Answer 9

• ruling class owned businesses have taken control and been allowed to monopolise the most important industry in contemporary society- big tech and communication
• top 8 big tech companies: apple, Samsung, Microsoft, alphabet, intel, IBM, meta and amazon