COMMUNICATING THE DIGITAL SHIFT PERSPECTIVES ON CONSUMPTION, MEMORY, AND MIGRATION

PREFACE

Preface

The rapid evolution of digital technologies has done more than simply upgrade our tools; it has fundamentally reshaped the ways we desire, remember, and relate to one another. We are currently navigating what may be described as a “Digital Shift”—a profound transformation in which traditional social structures are increasingly translated into platform-mediated realities. This volume, Communicating the Digital Shift: Perspectives on Consumption, Memory, and Migration, offers a multidisciplinary framework for understanding this new landscape, examining how communication dynamics function as a central driver of contemporary transformation.

The book begins with the intangible dimensions of this shift, focusing on the psychology of consumption. Drawing on the theoretical perspectives of Georg Simmel and Russell Belk, it explores how scarcity and desire are rearticulated within an age characterized by digital abundance. Moving from theory to empirical analysis, the discussion then turns to Türkiye’s 2024 digital landscape, examining how individuals engage with the state and the market through e-government and e-commerce platforms—an indicator of a society undergoing rapid transformation.

Importantly, the Digital Shift is not solely oriented toward the future; it is deeply intertwined with the past. This volume investigates how collective memory—such as the historical presence of Russian communities in Erzurum—is preserved, transformed, or reconstructed through contemporary communication practices. Even long-established institutions are subject to this transformation. The book examines the “invisible face” of digitalization in education, where teacher labor and parent–school relationships are increasingly shaped by platformization alongside enduring “analog” academic traditions.

Finally, the volume addresses migration—arguably one of the most fundamentally human experiences—reconceptualizing it as a complex communicative and social process within a networked world.

As editors, our aim has been to bring together diverse contributions that may initially appear distinct. However, when viewed through the lens of communication studies, a coherent pattern emerges: whether considering consumer desire, digital labor in education, or migratory experiences, each reflects the multifaceted ways in which the Digital Shift is communicated, experienced, and negotiated.

We hope this volume offers scholars, students, and interested readers valuable insights into the complexities of contemporary society. As this transformation continues to unfold, the dialogue it generates remains open and evolving.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Öznur Akyılmaz