Trust in the digital age

Trust is at the basis of all relationships, whether we are talking about people, institutional or business relationships. In the midst of the digital age, that trust transcends the physical plane and is also necessary in the digital one. On the Internet, we interact with friends, other professionals, public entities and companies. And trust (or lack thereof) is just as decisive as it is in the “real” world.

Depending on the area in which we are moving – and beyond the environment in which we do so – Deloitte distinguishes four dimensions of trust:
• Physical: referring to our physical integrity and that of our loved ones.
• Emotional: what surrounds us – people and institutions – allows us to be ourselves.
• Financial: on the continuity of our sources of income and the security of the banks that manage our savings.
• Digital: The transactions we make online – shopping, communications, etc. – are secure and private.

There are three major factors that directly affect the basis of trust:

– Misinformation: decision-making becomes much more complex if we cannot trust the veracity of the information we have for this process.

– Public Administrations: if we trust our institutions, this will have a positive impact on our future confidence in the economic and social sphere, being able to make decisions in accordance with that trust.

– New technologies: trusting them facilitates online transactions, communications and, in general, their ability to make us grow professionally and personally.

As we have seen in previous chapters, trust is the fundamental pillar for building positive relationships for everyone, in all areas of society.

If there is no trust, not only is there no common present, but there is also no common future.

Trust needs recovery and active involvement of all actors involved in it. If we want there to be optimal levels of trust for the proper functioning of society, it is necessary to systematically address the greatest concerns of citizens. If organizations do not take steps to resolve these concerns, trust will be difficult to recover.