At a time when 5.5 billion people are online worldwide, AI and social media platforms are reshaping the flow of information. While digitalization brings convenience to everyday life, it also drives a simultaneous rise in risks; information literacy has become an essential skill for the general public.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN (MERXWIRE) – According to the latest Digital 2025: Global Overview Report, the number of global internet users has reached 5.56 billion, with a penetration rate approaching 68%. As digital connectivity continues to deepen worldwide, the internet is no longer merely a “tool” but is increasingly becoming a fundamental infrastructure of society. While global digitalization brings unprecedented connectivity and convenience, it also introduces structural digital divides and emerging risks.
With advancements in infrastructure and communication technologies, approximately 70.5% of the global population now uses mobile devices—nearly doubling compared to a decade ago. Mobile connectivity has not only changed user behavior but also reshaped how people access information and make decisions, pushing the digital environment toward an “always-on” state and increasing reliance on digital systems. At the same time, access to information and responsiveness have become more immediate, altering the rhythm of everyday life.
In recent years, artificial intelligence has rapidly gained widespread adoption. For example, ChatGPT ranked eighth globally in downloads between September and November 2024, with over 250 million monthly active users. AI has evolved from a technical tool into a primary gateway for information, gradually transforming how people access content. As AI takes on roles in search, summarization, and decision support, the shift from active searching to passive consumption of information is becoming increasingly evident.
In addition to the rapid adoption of AI, social media has deeply penetrated digital life, with 5.24 billion users and a penetration rate of 63.9%. Moreover, 97.3% of internet users engage with at least one social or messaging platform each month. Among them, Instagram leads at 62.3%, followed by Facebook at 52.5%, and TikTok at 51.5%. About half of users report searching for brand information through social platforms, indicating that social media has evolved from a communication tool into a key entry point for information and commercial decision-making. Visual content and short-form videos have become dominant modes of information delivery.
Despite the high level of global internet penetration, a digital divide persists. Taking Taiwan as an example—with an internet penetration rate of 95.3%—around 80% of individuals aged 60 and above use the internet, while the rate drops sharply to about 50% for those over 70. This significant gap highlights the challenges older populations face in digital adoption and reflects the widening disparity between rapid technological advancement and the ability to adapt and learn.
While digitalization brings convenience, it also amplifies behavioral risks, including gaming addiction, overstimulation from short-form videos, and information overload. The rise of short-form content has fragmented information, leading users to frequently switch between content and potentially weakening deep comprehension, resulting in a pattern of “high-frequency intake with low-depth processing.” At the same time, scams have spread across platforms through the integration of social media and messaging tools, leveraging personalized content to increase success rates and making online fraud a growing everyday risk.
Beyond individual-level risks such as fraud and misinformation, digitalization also exposes critical infrastructure to greater threats. Cyberattacks targeting websites and official systems have become increasingly frequent in recent years. Whether involving corporate websites, government platforms, or service systems, such attacks can lead to service disruptions, data breaches, and even crises of trust. In a highly network-dependent environment, cybersecurity is no longer merely a technical issue but a fundamental risk affecting the stability of society.
While today’s digital society is becoming more convenient, its risks are also becoming harder to detect. On one hand, AI and social platforms make information more accessible; on the other, they facilitate the spread of misinformation and fraud. In this environment, users are no longer just passive consumers of information but are also influenced by platform-driven recommendations. As global digitalization enters a mature stage, the focus is no longer solely on increasing connectivity, but on narrowing the digital divide, enhancing digital literacy and fraud awareness, and establishing a new balance between convenience and risk.