Economic opportunities for our avatars | Social Mobility in the Digital Age | L'Atelier

Technology is both the problem and the solution.

Better transportation systems coupled with electricity paved the way for the expansion of information and communication technologies (ICT) throughout the third industrial revolution. During this period, the most significant technological changes resulted from the digitalisation of electronics and associated advances in computing.

Workers without a college education have been most adversely affected by the advent of routine-biased technology, but the mechanisation of agriculture that characterised this period has also had further detrimental effects on local social and environmental systems.

The first industrial revolution occurred when the steam engine and novel methods of organising labour within factories led to the replacement of human workers with machines.

These emergent digital economies are facilitating dramatic wealth accumulation for a small few and supplemental earnings for a great many. They are the new ladders and ledges being created to replace the elevators that have been destroyed. They are, however, only accessible to those with the relevant skills and education. Many will be left behind.

The new digital economies with the greatest upside also massively favour Caucasian and Asian men to the detriment of all women and Latino and Black men. Participation in these economies requires STEM skills far more commonly found within white and Asian communities. Consequently, the technology and the platforms have been built by and for prototypi... See more

In a world transformed by the widespread use of networked technologies, humanity faces a significant divide between those who can access and use new technologies and those who cannot, counterbalancing the considerable opportunities that are being created in new economic sectors.

The speed and scope of transformation during this period means this fourth industrial revolution has brought about an unprecedented shift in how people relate to each other. The ongoing shift towards non-standard forms of employment that typifies this era is linked to reduced worker benefits and welfare protection, with significant socio-economic i... See more

This process brought information to the forefront of the transformation of social, economic, and political life. A new demand for skilled workers emerged, with automation replacing labour in routine tasks. This promoted job polarisation and wage inequalities among groups with differing levels of skill and educational attainment.

The modern factory system can be considered the greatest technological innovation of its time, encouraging shifts from the agricultural sector to manufacturing and transforming many cities into industrial centres. Yet, many authors argue that despite major transformations brought about by these technological innovations, overall social mobility rat... See more