Globalization is no longer news. More people are becoming freelancers every month, and it's not just marketers and software engineers joining. Even government agencies, lawyers to doctors are going virtual and putting their services online. Your country's borders mean less to your audience - and earning potential - every day. However, if that's the case, why has there been so much outrage about globalization in the past year? From Brexit to Trump, the Western world has made it clear that about half of its population doesn't want a global economy.
The simple answer is that it's time we recognize, on a planetary level, that we're in the middle of a technological revolution. Similar to the agricultural and industrial revolution, the internet revolution is at hand. We won't know if this is the peak or only the beginning for decades, or even centuries, but what we can do is learn from previous similar situations.
We've Been Here Before
Perhaps the most similar previous revolution was the Industrial Revolution, in the late 1700s to early 1800s, when factories really came into their own. To set the stage, populations were increasing, and new innovations that allowed more efficient production were emerging (sound familiar?). Many laymen believe that the horrors of this era - read any Dickens novel if you're unsure - are proof that pure capitalism doesn't work. However, this isn't really the case.
While it is true that as the working class adapted, many suffered temporarily in adjustment to the new way of things, there was an increase in real wages - and thus quality of life - by 1830. Can we see that the same will be true of the Internet Revolution? Definitely.
It's very hard to argue that the internet, and all of the capabilities that it's enabled - including, namely, automation and artificial intelligence - will eventually result in a better quality of life for the global population. However, in the meantime, there are similar upsets happening in the lives of the working class. Ironically, those who suffer the most will be factory workers and oil industry professionals.
While factory workers losing their jobs to automation is a fairly straightforward challenge, the plight of oil industry professionals may not seem like it's tied to the Internet Revolution. This industry will also have a much more gradual decline - it is still, by many professionals' reckonings, thriving, though its days are numbered. However, as consumers learn more about global warming, environmental crises, and other ill effects of oil, as well as the benefits of alternative, green sources of energy, demand will decrease. We can already see this happening, and there is no foreseeable event that would stop it.
We Can Help Ease The Transition
Technology and the Internet Revolution doesn't have to cause mass suffering before it benefits the working class, however. There are important steps that those in the forefront - namely startups and companies that are driving change - can do to ease the transition. The most important one? Create tools that make their lives better, offer jobs and offer help retraining factory workers.
While these tasks may seem daunting, they're critical to our nation's - and our global society's - success. The majority of apps and software tools are developed with the same people in mind: the people who make them. When considering your next project (or your next company), look at the problems that the working class are facing, and work to fix it.
Partner with other like-minded companies to offer training courses to blue collar workers in declining industries. Offer a free code-camp, talk at junior high and high schools in low-income neighborhoods, and be present in communities that can appreciate your help. And don't worry, you don't have to do all of this for purely altruistic reasons; you'll gain valuable Gen Z and Millennial customers by being socially responsible, likely many more than you would spending that money on an advertising campaign.