Resumen de Digital revolution and sociocultural change
Fausto Miguélez Lobo, Jordi Planas Coll, Paula Benítez
The title of this chapter refers to how current developments in technology are not just one further innovation of the industrial era, but will lead to decisive changes in production methods, markets, labour, consumption and, to a considerable extent, personal and social relationships. But these changes will be happening within the economic and political framework of the period prior to digitalisation and will persist in the globalisation of the economy. These pages will focus on what we believe to be key issues: changes to business and work, changes to the education and training of people in general and the active population in particular, and certain activities that will have a profound effect on the way we communicate and relate to each other. No technological innovation, not even this one, exists and acts in isolation from the socio-political framework. Therefore, it is also important to analyse the policies and strategies that might lead the digital economy in one direction or another, towards an increase in inequality or in welfare. Going further, what our analysis does not cover is how the digital revolution could be of great help to curb the climate crisis, with changes in energy production, mobility, construction and protection of the environment, provided there is political will and consequent action.
