Formation of an Information-Networked Digital Society: Key Aspects of the Digital Economy

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the digital economy as a distinct stage in the evolutionary development of socio-economic systems. The authors argue that the digital economy represents a fundamental transformation of both technological and institutional foundations of modern society, rather than a simple continuation of post-industrial dynamics. The study offers a historical and conceptual overview of economic development stages shaped by technological revolutions – agrarian, industrial, post-industrial, and digital – and emphasizes the unique characteristics of the current information-network era. Through a synthesis of theoretical approaches and empirical observations, the paper explores how digital technologies – especially cognitive technologies, big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things – redefine traditional economic paradigms, production-consumption chains, and value creation mechanisms.