Digital Norms and Their Place in a Tech-Based Future

One impact of the technological revolution has been technology’s effects on social norms and the nudges needed to ensure efficiency and security in today’s “digitally required” world. I define these phenomena as digital norms and they inform interpersonal contact and tech-based choices. This paper looks specifically at norm interactions between Generation X and Generation Z. To test these digital norms and gauge their presence in both generations, this paper outlines a survey experiment of 50 people (25 Gen X and 25 Gen Z) and seeks to extrapolate assumptions on technology while providing policy recommendations. What was found was that civil liberty and morality expectations roll over into the expectations within digital norms. Thus, digital norms, and how we choose to interact with them, can be viewed as a themed social norm which abides by much of the same rules outlined by behavioral economics. They serve as the fundamental underpinning to how technological innovation gets perpetuated and ultimately how tech will facilitate future societal interaction.