According to the media, we have entered the era of the the fourth industrial revolution, in which new technologies and ways of their use are radically changing economic, social and political systems. Blockchain and its well-known application, bitcoin, are among such technologies. Technological and economic changes are met with uncertainty and enthusiasm over the prospect of the future they bring. Neoliberal media discourse emphasizes the need to improve the competitiveness of people in the labor market, which is supported by the constant threat of both global markets and new technologies: one who does not adjust can be replaced by machines or a cheaper worker. At the same time, there is the promise of a better life if we follow the logic. For example, what makes cryptocurrencies attractive is their potential for the elimination of "ineffective and non-transparent" state institutions (eg. central banks) and prospect of enrichment by trade. Social changes related to technology are often presented as self-evident and inevitable, but various theoretical approaches draw attention to the role of discourses appearing in relation to them. An important finding is that the the vast share of the influence of the tecnological changes affects labour. By method of qualitative text analysis, I summarise the discourses regarding the fourth industrial revolution, blockchain and bitcoin in selected Slovenian online media.
|
