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1. Introduction

Globalisation is fundamentally changing the way society and the economy work. The rise of digitalisation is one of the possible reasons of social, economic, and even cultural transformation. We are at the interface between physical reality and the digital world. Digitalization can create profound and powerful processes that can shift the most common and complex tasks from the tangible physical present to the intangible virtual space. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are the mechanism by which digitalization is accomplished. Young people today, as well as older, more experienced generations, find it impossible to envisage a world without the options provided by modern technology. Consider first the young adults who are likely to utilize ICT tools in their profession on a regular basis or the adolescents who couldn’t take a step without their super devices. Organizing daily tasks from the comfort of their homes thanks to digitalization makes life much simpler for older and more savvy generations as well. Additionally, the world’s continents are now more connected than ever before. Imagine the worldwide meetings that corporations organize that may be attended online thanks to ICT. While we don’t need to immediately think about business, it suffices to keep in mind that we have family, friends, and acquaintances living overseas with whom we can communicate on a daily basis without needing to purchase a train or airline ticket and travel halfway across the world. Although it cannot completely substitute the experience of meeting in person, electronic communication does make up for it in certain ways. Every aspect of life is beginning to become more digitalized, which has many advantages but also has challenges and risks.

2. Theoretical background

The European Union is likewise being impacted by the powerful digital revolution (Dudukalov & Ushakov, 2020). The importance of ICT as a crucial component of lifelong learning and skills has also been acknowledged by the European Community (Guarini, 2021). The growth of education is reflected in the growing importance of ICT integration into the educational system (Srivastava, 2016). (Zokirovna, 2020). Innovative approaches increase learning and professional abilities and offer networking and individualized learning possibilities (Roliak, 2019). Not only are educational institutions being impacted by digitalization, but also businesses and organizations that want to continuously use their knowledge to produce value and strengthen consumer connections (Lenka & Parida & Wincent, 2017). ICT integration allows forward-thinking businesses to access additional resources and operate more effectively. Innovative businesses may access more resources, operate more successfully, and satisfy newly developing and constantly changing consumer wants by integrating ICT (Rachinger et al., 2018).

3. The EU digital maturity level

Many people take the everyday use of ICT tools for granted. We know how to use and operate the tools or programs without any prior information. Conversely, it is not so easy for everyone, for a number of reasons, including lack of financial support, generational differences, lack of interest, geographical location, etc. Over time, the development of digital skills will become increasingly desirable in the labour market and, in education. In 2014, the European Union created the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) to measure the digital development of each Member State The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) | Shaping Europe’s digital future (europa.eu). The DESI index assesses and profiles Member States on four main factors (connectivity, human capital, integration of digital technologies, digital public services) and produces annual reports broken down by country.

4. The importance of data protection

To ensure that our digital presence is not compromised, we need to pay special and close attention to the importance of data protection. Protecting personal information from unauthorized access and misuse is known as data protection. We may not realise the consequences of our online visits. The dark side of digitalization is represented by cybercrime, data breaches, and exploitation of personal information. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)What is GDPR, the EU’s new data protection law? – GDPR.eu is considered the most respected and secure data protection law in the world. The GDPR was adopted by the EU to protect all citizens in Europe whose data is collected by organisations. The provision came into force in 2018, with heavy fines imposes on those who breach the safety rules.

Regardless of which services we use, whether we want to make a purchase, register with a popular website or spend our free time playing games on the Internet, the website is obliged to ensure that personal data is kept confidential and may only be used for purposes that are disclosed to us before the purchase or registration. The person thereafter gives his or her approval for the website in question to process his or her personal data in the context of online purchases and registrations, provided that they believe it to be appropriate and secure. Knowing the online store beforehand is essential when shopping online. If at all possible, pay after the goods have been delivered and refrain from disclosing your bank account information.

5. Conclusion

We might ask whether digitalisation is a silver bullet – improving quality of life and bringing progress – or an enemy that captures everything we do online and puts our personal data at risk. Although there is no consensus on the answer, it is crucial that we enter the world of digitalisation carefully and responsibly. Through a number of initiatives and programmes, the European Union seeks to increase each Member State’s digital literacy in order to foster the creation of a single market and the growth of the digital economy. Furthermore, it emphasizes observing data protection laws while upholding and respecting EU individuals’ legal rights.

^[1]Dudukalov, Egor V., Ushakov, Denis (2020). Innovative Development as A Factor of European Union Economy Digitalization. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 13(2), 200-210.^[2]Guarini, Piergiorgio (2021). Improve ICT in teaching Italian teachers’ education: a proposal, University of Foggia, Italy. teleXbe. 2021.^[3]Lenka, S., Parida, V., Wincent, J. (2017). Digitalization Capabilities as Enablers of Value Co-Creation in Serviziting Firms: Psychology & Marketing. 34(1), 92-100. DOI: 10.1002/mar.20975^[4]Rachinger, M., Rauter, R., Müller, Ch., Vorraber, W., Schirgi, E. (2018). Digitalization and its influence on business model innovation: Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 30(8), … Continue reading^[5]Roliak, Angelina O. (2019). ICT Implementation in the System of Teacher Education: Nordic Dimension, Information Technologies anda Learning Tools, 69(1), 258-267.^[6]Srivastava, Soni (2016). ICT implementation for Education and Learning. IOSR Journal of Research and Method in Education (IOSR-JRME), 6(4), 40-44. DOI: 10.9790/7388-0604044044^[7]Zokirovna, Olimova D. (2020). The Effectiveness of Implementation of ICT in Learning Process, European Scholar Journal (ESJ), 1(4), 9-11.

Vivien Pásztó

Vivien Pásztó is a second-year PhD student at the Faculty of Economics and Informatics of J. Selye University in Slovakia. Her research fields are HR management, labour market changes, digitalisation and organisational culture. She is an active member of the editorial board of the online academic journal Külügyi Műhely and of TéKa Társulás (Scientific and Cultural Association of Young Hungarians in Slovakia).

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