Massimo Ragnedda

After two mandates as Chair of the Digital Divide Working Group, I concluded my role at IAMCR 2025 in Singapore. A stimulating and intense experience that allowed me to witness the evolution of this research field over time. I met colleagues from across the globe, explored emerging directions in digital inequality research, and engaged in valuable discussions that I hope will lead to long-term collaborations. Some of these exchanges have already materialised in co-authored articles and forthcoming projects.

The conference itself confirmed a trend I had suspected. Reviewing abstracts this year was significantly more difficult, not because of a lack of quality, but perhaps because of too much of it. Theoretical frameworks were sharp, empirical data were solid, and the methodological designs were impressively structured.

Is this a sign that AI tools are making proposal writing more polished and strategically crafted?

If so, what are the implications for peer review and academic gatekeeping?

Are we simply reading cleaner texts, or are we mistaking form for substance?

Paradoxically, the high quality of the abstracts did not always translate into compelling presentations. I attended sessions outside of my working group, and the contrast was at times striking. In particular, some undergraduate students, while enthusiastic and welcome presences, delivered poorly structured presentations, often skipping theoretical grounding entirely, speaking for four or five minutes instead of the allotted fifteen, and in some cases reading slides likely generated by ChatGPT/DeepSeek.

I am glad to see more early-career scholars participating, but how do we reconcile inclusivity with academic rigour? How do we maintain the intellectual density of a conference while supporting those at the beginning of their journey?

This issue goes beyond IAMCR. It raises broader concerns about the role of academic conferences. Are we attending to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and build new research directions, or merely to collect content for social media? When the performative aspect of conference attendance overtakes the intellectual one, what remains of scholarly engagement?

Some questions I leave open for debate:

• Should conferences introduce minimum criteria for presenters, especially in competitive streams?
• How can chairs and reviewers distinguish between genuinely strong abstracts and AI-assisted superficial ones?
• Is it time to rethink presentation formats and set clearer expectations for theoretical discussion and critical depth?
• Are we witnessing a shift from conferences as academic spaces to events as stages for visibility? 

I remain grateful for the role IAMCR has played in fostering meaningful academic dialogue. But if we want to preserve the spirit of critical inquiry, we must confront these structural and cultural challenges openly and collectively.

Conferences or Content Studios? The Rise of InstaScholars and ChatGPT Academics

There’s a shift happening, and it’s hard to ignore. Conferences increasingly resemble content studios. Picture-perfect photos, well-edited Instagram reels, polished performances. Less time for questions, more time for selfies.

Welcome to the era of the InstaScholar: a scholar more invested in visibility than debate, more focused on the aesthetics of participation than the messiness of argument. And next to them, the rise of the ChatGPT Academic: able to generate an abstract in minutes, with elegant phrasing and fake precision, but with little capacity for deep engagement during a live Q&A.

Of course, not everyone falls into these categories. But the cultural trend is clear: conferences are becoming more about presence than contribution. The logic of the feed is replacing the logic of discussion.

• Should conferences set minimum academic standards for presenters?
• Can we develop a way to flag AI-generated submissions without becoming reactionary?
• How do we protect conferences as spaces for critical thinking, not just academic branding?

We can’t reverse this shift by pretending it’s not happening. It’s time to confront it.

The Research symposium on “Digital Capital and Political Power: Shaping Inequalities in a Technological Age”, hosted by the University of Sharjah, UAE, and organized by the IAMCR Digital Divide Working Group in collaboration with the Mass Media Research Group at the University of Sharjah (UAE).

This symposium will explore the emerging and evolving forms of digital inequalities and their intricate connections with social inequalities. As digital technologies increasingly shape our world, they reflect and amplify existing economic, social, and political divides within and across nations. The event will bring together scholars and practitioners to examine these dynamics, offering a platform for in-depth discussions on the complex nature of digital inequalities in today’s society.

Symposium Details:

• Date and Venue: The symposium will take place at the University of Sharjah, 17^th of April 2025.
• Attendance and catering are complementary.
• Keynote: Dr. Jeremy Schulz, Senior Researcher, ISSI, UC Berkeley (USA).
• Information ad submission: mragnedda(@)sharjah.ac.ae
• Free registration here

Key Focus Areas:

• The evolving nature of Digital Capital. This theme will delve into the concept of digital capital, examining how digital resources and skills are unevenly distributed and how they influence social mobility, economic opportunities, and access to power. We encourage papers that explore the role of digital capital in perpetuating or challenging social inequalities.
• Beyond Access: Emerging Digital Divides and Their Implications for Social Justice. This area will address the emerging digital divides that go beyond access to technology, including disparities in digital literacy, quality of digital engagement, and the unequal benefits of digital participation. Submissions are invited to critically analyze these new forms of digital inequalities and their implications for social justice.
• Intersection of AI, digital inequalities, and political power. This focus area will explore the intersection of digital technologies and political life, such as the impact of algorithms on democracy, digital surveillance, and the role of social media in shaping political discourse. Papers should investigate how digital technologies are influencing political power dynamics and what this means for the future of democratic governance.

Publication Opportunities: Participants will have the opportunity to contribute to one of the two special issues that will be proposed:

Emerging Forms of Digital Inequalities. The Role of Digital Capital in Shaping Access, Power, and Opportunities in the Digital Era. This Special Issue will be edited by Massimo Ragnedda, Anna Gladkova and Maria Laura Ruiu and submitted to the World of Media (Q1 Scopus). The issue will invite both theoretical and empirical contributions, including qualitative and quantitative studies, policy analysis, and case studies. Articles could explore local, national, and global perspectives, as well as emerging theoretical frameworks on digital capital and digital inequalities. This special issue aims to shed light on the evolving concept of digital capital and its profound implications for digital inequalities in contemporary society.

Artificial Intelligence, Digital Inequalities, and Political Power: Navigating Access, Governance, and Representation. This special issue is edited by Jason Gainous, Massimo Ragnedda, and Maria Laura Ruiu and submitted to the Journal of Information Technology & Politics (Q1 Scopus).  It explores the intersection of AI, digital inequalities, and political power, examining how AI technologies shape access, influence governance, and impact political representation. This special issue will focus on the role of AI in reproducing or challenging digital divides, and it aims to uncover the implications for democratic participation, algorithmic bias, and the governance of digital spaces, highlighting the complex relationship between technology, inequality, and political inclusion.

Both special issues will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process.

Furthermore, for those interested in further developing their research, there will also be an opportunity to propose a book, either as a monograph or an edited volume, to be published within the Palgrave Studies in Digital Inequalities series.

Submission Guidelines:

• Abstracts: Abstracts should be no more than 500 words.
• Submission Deadline: 20 January 2025
• Submission Email: mragnedda@sharjah.ac.ae

— See the two Special Issues on the next page —-

I am recognized as part of the top 2% of scholars in the world, according to Stanford University’s prestigious list of “World’s Top 2% Scientists.” This distinction highlights my contributions to research and scholarship, placing me among the most influential researchers across various scientific disciplines.

The “World’s Top 2% Scientists” list is based on a stringent evaluation that considers a composite score or c-score, which incorporates several citation metrics. This comprehensive ranking identifies the leading 100,000 researchers globally, reflecting the top 2% of scientists based on their impact on their respective fields. Notably, this list is constructed from standardized data on citations, h-index metrics, and a wide range of bibliometric indicators, ensuring a thorough assessment of scholarly contributions.

Exciting News! The Special Issue on the Digital Divide in the Middle East and North Africa, Co-edited by Glenn Muschert and me, is Now Published! 🌟

After a long journey, Glenn and I are thrilled to announce that our special issue on Digital Divide in the MENA region is finally out. We had the privilege of collaborating with brilliant colleagues and authors to explore the intricate digital disparities in MENA. This collection of articles explores the complexities of digital disparities within MENA, taking into account cultural, economic, and historical factors.

📚 Highlights from the Issue:

Multicultural Arab Context: Fahed Y. Alsumait, Ellen Helsper, and Miriam Rahali delve into digital inequalities in Kuwait, emphasizing the need to adapt survey methodologies to local contexts.

Journalism Sector: Noha Mellor examines the evolving role of technology in the Arab region, highlighting how digital divides perpetuate offline power dynamics and the impact of Big Tech on journalism.

Rural Turkey: Veysel Bozan and Emiliano Trere’ focus on digital disconnection, revealing how infrastructure, geography, and socioeconomic conditions shape digital practices in rural Turkey.

North Africa: Hasnain Bokhari and Evans T Awun analyzes digital inclusion in Tunisia and Morocco, showing persistent inequalities despite improvements and emphasizing the link between digital inclusion and socioeconomic well-being.

This thematic issue aims to encourage international study and address social challenges stemming from digital divides in MENA by critically discussing these disparities and their effects.