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22 Automation and Inequality

  • Justine Humphry
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De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Cultures
This chapter is in the book De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Cultures

Abstract

This chapter explores the role of automation and its connection to inequality across various everyday domains, including factories, office work, social media, digital welfare, smart homes, and smart cities. A central focus is the persistence of automation myths—such as increased efficiency, worker emancipation, technological autonomy, greater leisure time, and smarter ways of operating—which facilitate new social and material arrangements while obscuring underlying agendas and ideologies. While automation is often framed as inevitable, it can be resisted, and its trajectory is not predetermined. As a foundational material and infrastructural force in digital cultures, automation exerts power precisely because its influence is often difficult to detect. Unmasking the myths of automation is therefore crucial to exposing and challenging the inequalities it helps to reinforce.

Abstract

This chapter explores the role of automation and its connection to inequality across various everyday domains, including factories, office work, social media, digital welfare, smart homes, and smart cities. A central focus is the persistence of automation myths—such as increased efficiency, worker emancipation, technological autonomy, greater leisure time, and smarter ways of operating—which facilitate new social and material arrangements while obscuring underlying agendas and ideologies. While automation is often framed as inevitable, it can be resisted, and its trajectory is not predetermined. As a foundational material and infrastructural force in digital cultures, automation exerts power precisely because its influence is often difficult to detect. Unmasking the myths of automation is therefore crucial to exposing and challenging the inequalities it helps to reinforce.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. 1 Introduction: What Are Digital Cultures? 1
  4. Part I Methods and Approaches
  5. 2 On Methods 11
  6. 3 Digital Textuality 17
  7. 4 The Political Economy of Digital Media 23
  8. 5 Media Archaeology and Media Genealogy 33
  9. 6 Digital Ethnography 43
  10. 7 Prescriptive Media and Autoethnographies of the Self 61
  11. 8 Hybrid Space Revisited 75
  12. 9 Software Studies 83
  13. 10 Computer Programming as a Method for the Study of Digital Cultures 89
  14. 11 Decolonial Media Studies 97
  15. 12 Repair 115
  16. 13 Digital Ontology 123
  17. 14 Analyzing Digital Media Practices to Define Digital Media Literacy 133
  18. Part II Histories
  19. 15 History and Digital Cultures 145
  20. 16 Lessons from the Hologram 151
  21. 17 Information Theory and its Detractors 161
  22. 18 Interface 171
  23. 19 Barcodes and Digital/Physical Hybrids 181
  24. 20 Sharing 189
  25. 21 Advertising and Branding 197
  26. 22 Automation and Inequality 211
  27. Part III Identities
  28. 23 Digital Identities 225
  29. 24 Digital Culture and Race 235
  30. 25 The Digital Closet and Queer Community Online 245
  31. 26 Tactical Queer Identity in China 255
  32. 27 Rurality, Gender, and Short-Video Platforms in China 263
  33. 28 Digital Nomads 277
  34. 29 Boundaries of Digital Infrastructures in India 285
  35. 30 Sensual Ethos and Digital Intimacies in Brazilian Camming 295
  36. 31 Embodiment and Representation in Social VR 305
  37. 32 The Manosphere 313
  38. 33 Digital Hate 323
  39. Part IV Aesthetics
  40. 34 Digital Aesthetics and Collective Judgment 333
  41. 35 Screens and Power 341
  42. 36 Framing Digital Culture 351
  43. 37 Beyond the Frame 361
  44. 38 The Weird Internet and Speculative Knowledge 371
  45. 39 The Weirdness of Generative AI 387
  46. 40 Supercuts 397
  47. 41 Futurisms Beyond Western Cultural Imaginaries 407
  48. 42 Color in Digital Culture 419
  49. Part V Materialities and Infrastructures
  50. 43 The Materiality of the Digital 429
  51. 44 The Logistical Episteme 439
  52. 45 Degrowth and Digital Culture 455
  53. 46 Digital Modeling and the Climate Crisis 467
  54. 47 Telehealth 477
  55. 48 The Culture and Cultures of Twitch 483
  56. 49 Edge Computing 491
  57. 50 Humanoid Robots 497
  58. Index
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111316857-022

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. 1 Introduction: What Are Digital Cultures? 1
  4. Part I Methods and Approaches
  5. 2 On Methods 11
  6. 3 Digital Textuality 17
  7. 4 The Political Economy of Digital Media 23
  8. 5 Media Archaeology and Media Genealogy 33
  9. 6 Digital Ethnography 43
  10. 7 Prescriptive Media and Autoethnographies of the Self 61
  11. 8 Hybrid Space Revisited 75
  12. 9 Software Studies 83
  13. 10 Computer Programming as a Method for the Study of Digital Cultures 89
  14. 11 Decolonial Media Studies 97
  15. 12 Repair 115
  16. 13 Digital Ontology 123
  17. 14 Analyzing Digital Media Practices to Define Digital Media Literacy 133
  18. Part II Histories
  19. 15 History and Digital Cultures 145
  20. 16 Lessons from the Hologram 151
  21. 17 Information Theory and its Detractors 161
  22. 18 Interface 171
  23. 19 Barcodes and Digital/Physical Hybrids 181
  24. 20 Sharing 189
  25. 21 Advertising and Branding 197
  26. 22 Automation and Inequality 211
  27. Part III Identities
  28. 23 Digital Identities 225
  29. 24 Digital Culture and Race 235
  30. 25 The Digital Closet and Queer Community Online 245
  31. 26 Tactical Queer Identity in China 255
  32. 27 Rurality, Gender, and Short-Video Platforms in China 263
  33. 28 Digital Nomads 277
  34. 29 Boundaries of Digital Infrastructures in India 285
  35. 30 Sensual Ethos and Digital Intimacies in Brazilian Camming 295
  36. 31 Embodiment and Representation in Social VR 305
  37. 32 The Manosphere 313
  38. 33 Digital Hate 323
  39. Part IV Aesthetics
  40. 34 Digital Aesthetics and Collective Judgment 333
  41. 35 Screens and Power 341
  42. 36 Framing Digital Culture 351
  43. 37 Beyond the Frame 361
  44. 38 The Weird Internet and Speculative Knowledge 371
  45. 39 The Weirdness of Generative AI 387
  46. 40 Supercuts 397
  47. 41 Futurisms Beyond Western Cultural Imaginaries 407
  48. 42 Color in Digital Culture 419
  49. Part V Materialities and Infrastructures
  50. 43 The Materiality of the Digital 429
  51. 44 The Logistical Episteme 439
  52. 45 Degrowth and Digital Culture 455
  53. 46 Digital Modeling and the Climate Crisis 467
  54. 47 Telehealth 477
  55. 48 The Culture and Cultures of Twitch 483
  56. 49 Edge Computing 491
  57. 50 Humanoid Robots 497
  58. Index
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