Social digital technologies in the study of urban information environment

The spread of information technologies is updating the issues of using new digital data (activities on social networks, digital traces, data from mobile operators, banks, search engines, light traces, etc.) in the work of sociologists. An important aspect of this issue is the development of methods for analyzing new data and approaches to combining the results of classical sociological research with various methods of analyzing digital data. The article presents an example of studying a segment of the city's communication environment with a description of the sequence of analysis procedures that make it possible to bring the study closer to the practical tasks of city authorities. This study was conducted in 2023 by the Stolitsa Social Research Agency and represents an attempt to analyze the Information field of the Moscow region. The results of data analysis make it possible to detect problematic situations in various spheres of city life, identify media channels involved in covering city events and problems, and quickly identify emerging conflicts. The sequence of research procedures presented in the article can be used as a social technology to study Internet communications as an important element of the communication environment of cities.