Contextualising COVID-19 as a Digital Pandemic

Growing systemic complexity and interdependence have made a largevariety of systems (economic, public health, cyber, etc.) susceptible to irreversible andcascading failure. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is indicative of suchcomplexity and currently causing vast human suffering all around the world, but alsotriggers a global online revolution with new opportunities, risks, threats and dangers.Starting from its description as the world's first digital pandemic, the central aim ofthis editorial is to contextualise Homo Virtualis's special issue on the COVID-19disruption to the digital landscape and its societal impact. A concise overview of suchdisruption is presented and a few examples are given, along with a variety ofinterdisciplinary perspectives on mediatisation and globalisation, with specialemphasis on Globalisation 4.0 and the transition to Artificial Intelligence Society.