Crime, Justice, Administration, and the Transformation of Society in the Digital Era
TL;DR
This study examines how the digital society can serve as a conceptual and analytical framework for rethinking criminological inquiry in the twenty-first century and argues for an expanded and more adaptive field of digital criminology capable of addressing the increasingly complex intersections between technology, deviance, justice, and administration.
Abstract
The rapid advancement of digital and communication technologies—particularly the widespread use of social media—has inspired a growing body of interdisciplinary research seeking to understand how technological innovation reshapes social life, institutional practices, and administrative processes. Rather than viewing technology as separate from society, the concept of the digital society positions digital infrastructures, media, and networks as foundational elements of contemporary social organization. Within this perspective, technological systems are understood as deeply embedded in everyday routines, shaping experiences of crime, patterns of victimization, and the ways justice systems operate and are administered. Building on this understanding, the present study examines how the digital society can serve as a conceptual and analytical framework for rethinking criminological inquiry in the twenty-first century. By drawing on insights from sociology, communication studies, administrative sciences, and cultural theory, we argue for an expanded and more adaptive field of digital criminology—one capable of addressing the increasingly complex intersections between technology, deviance, justice, and administration. Adopting this lens allows scholars to move beyond the conventional boundaries of cybercrime research and engage with the wider social, organizational, and political implications of digital transformation.