THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: CHARACTERISTICS, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Third Industrial Revolution is a historical concept created by the American sociologist and economist Jeremy Rifkin to describe the technological and social transformations that took place in the second half of the 20th century. It would thus be the third great revolution of this type counting from the First Industrial Revolution.

This revolution would have its origin in the United States, Japan and Europe. The main basis of it would be the appearance of new technologies, especially information technologies. In this regard, the Internet and all the inventions developed from the Internet have been the element that has meant the most transformations for the planet.

Jeremy Rifkin - Source: World Travel & Tourism Council

Another of the most important characteristics is the search for new sources of energy. One of the causes that led to the beginning of this revolution was the increase in the price of traditional energy sources. For this reason, alternatives such as solar or wind energy began to be studied.

The main consequence of the Third Industrial Revolution has been globalization. New forms of communication, improved transportation and the existence of global information have made the economy, culture and politics of all parts of the planet totally interrelated.

characteristics

The creator of the concept of the Third Industrial Revolution was Jeremy Rifkin, an American sociologist and economist. Following him, other international organizations began using the term, such as the European Parliament in 2006.

According to Rifkin's theory this revolution began shortly after the end of World War II. Unlike the First Industrial Revolution, which had its epicenter in Great Britain, this time it was the United States, Western European countries and Japan that led the transformations.

The Third Industrial Revolution is based on new findings in two fields: information technology and the search for sustainable energy.

Previous revolutions

The Third Industrial Revolution was named in such a way as it was considered the third great economic and social transformation based on technology.

The first, for example, had the steam engine as its main invention. Thanks to it, labor relations, production systems and the economy changed. From that moment on, capitalism spread as the dominant system.

For its part, in the Second Industrial Revolution, internal combustion engines, powered by oil, began to be used massively. Another source of energy that starred in this revolution was electricity.

Thanks to these inventions the manufacturing industry began to manufacture en masse. With Henry Ford, finally, the assembly line appeared.

Renewable energy

Two factors contributed to a search for new energy sources in the middle of the 20th century. The first of these factors was the economic one, since there was an increase in the price of traditional energies. This got even worse in the 1970s and 1980s, with the oil crises.

On the other hand, after the Second World War, concern for the environment began to appear, with which studies were started to find less polluting energy alternatives.

The result was the exploitation of energies such as wind, hydro, solar or geothermal. Despite research, even today fossil fuels are still the most widely used.

Another source of energy that gained importance was nuclear. However, its use is quite controversial, especially because of the inconveniences in terms of safety and its waste.

Finally, one of the projects that Rifkin marked as fundamental in his theory of the Third Industrial Revolution was the creation of buildings that were capable of generating energy.

Production automation

As noted above, the Second Industrial Revolution brought about a change in the productive system. The assembly line allowed a mass construction of the products, which transformed both the economy itself and the conditions of the workers.

At the end of the Second World War the transformation went further. In Japan, under American influence, they began to develop philosophies to make production systems more operational.

This was accompanied by the increasing automation of production plants. Many tasks began to be carried out by machines, without the need for human participation. In the last decades, this automation has spread from factories to other areas, with positive and negative consequences.

Smart technology

The arrival and introduction of intelligent technology has been another of the main characteristics of the Third Industrial Revolution, to the point that there are authors who affirm that it would even be possible to speak of a Fourth Revolution.

In addition to the well-known smartphones, the most important concept in this field is that of the smart grid: the intelligent distribution of energy.

Different means of transport

As happened in the other two industrial revolutions, the advancement of means of transport is inseparable from the transformations that occurred in the third.

However, many of these transports are still in the development and commercialization process. In the coming decades, it is expected that electric vehicles, autonomous ones or those that use renewable energy will have replaced those of gasoline.

Globalization

Globalization is both characteristic and consequence of the Third Industrial Revolution. In short, it is about the interdependence that all areas of the planet maintain today in all areas, from the economy to culture, through politics or society.

This process was possible thanks to new technologies. With them it was possible to communicate in real time with any part of the world. What happened outside the borders happened to affect, in this way, the country itself.

Thus, for example, the fall of the New York Stock Exchange affected the rest of the world in a few hours, the same as any terrorist attack no matter where it occurred.

Causes

The first two industrial revolutions were driven by similar causes. The first was due to the primacy of coal and the financial concentration in the hands of a few. The second, for its part, was based on the expansion of the railroad and the importance of fuels extracted from oil.

However, the causes of the third were of a different nature: information technology, especially the Internet, and renewable energies.

Crisis of capitalism

Capitalism had established itself as the dominant system in almost the entire world, with the exception of the Soviet bloc. However, various causes caused this financial and monopoly capitalism to enter into crisis in the late 1960s.

At that time there was a big rise in the prices of raw materials and energy sources. This led to many countries going into crisis and unemployment to rise considerably. Workers, students and other social sectors began to organize protests, both for economic problems and for the defense of the environment.

Changes in the industry

During the 1960s the industry began to show signs of certain weakness and its weight in the world economy was declining compared to other sectors. During that time, likewise, the Welfare State was being promoted, which was translated into new taxes to be able to offer social rights to the population.

Faced with this situation, some companies chose to distribute their headquarters and products in several different countries. On the positive side this opened up economic possibilities, but on the negative side it caused unemployment to rise in many areas.

Another of the companies' cost saving tactics was to decentralize productivity. Many chose to reduce direct manufacturing work and outsource it to other companies. New technologies made this strategy possible, as well as allowing increased automation.

New media

The first great means of mass communication, with the permission of the radio that was already common in many homes, was television. Its arrival was a revolution in many ways, but it has been overshadowed by the subsequent rise of the Internet.

The network of networks has connected the entire planet and has achieved that a large part of the world's population has instant access to information. In addition, it is the basis for the emergence of new smart technologies.

Consequences

The Third Industrial Revolution, as happened with the previous two, has not only had consequences for the economy. Both new technologies and the search for clean energy sources have changed the way of life in all parts of the world.

Economy and work

Both concepts, economy and work, are no longer linked to a particular place. Today there are no borders in these areas due to globalization.

Apart from this aspect, there has been a gradual loss of importance of the classical workforce. Workers in many sectors are being replaced by machines, while productivity has grown.

Among the negative effects is precisely the increase in unemployment in many business sectors.

On the other hand, the phenomenon of company relocation has affected large masses of workers from developed countries, who have seen how traditional industries have preferred to move to producing countries with lower wages.

Technology of the Third Revolution

The so-called smart technology was one of the causes of the outbreak of this industrial revolution. In the same way, as it becomes an essential element for all areas of life today, it is also a consequence of it.

On the one hand, it is almost inconceivable not to be connected all day. This facilitates quick and easy communication, although some authors claim that it is also, paradoxically, causing an isolation of individuals.

In the company, the use of these technologies has allowed an increase in productivity and has improved the final profitability.

Economic inequality

According to some experts, the great negative point that the Third Industrial Revolution entails is the increase in inequalities. In addition to the economic aspect, this inequality is caused by the fact that many people cannot make use of new technologies.

Fourth Industrial Revolution

Although, in general terms, there is no consensus about the duration of the Third Industrial Revolution, there is currently a sector of experts who consider that it has already come to an end. For these, humanity would have entered what they call the Fourth Revolution, which goes a step further than the previous one.

This new revolution, a direct heir to the third, would be based on the use of artificial intelligence. The implementation of Big Data and other technological tools would serve to multiply the effects of information technology in all areas.

Inventions, technologies and energy sources

New inventions are characteristic of every industrial revolution. In fact, they are an intrinsic part of its development, since they serve to increase its effects and, at the same time, are a consequence of them.

Mobile telephony

Despite the fact that some mobile phones already existed in the 70-80s, it was not until they reduced their size and price that we can speak of a true revolution in communications.

At first, these cell phones were only used to talk, although that in itself was a great transformation. Over time they incorporated the Internet and the world changed completely.

Renewable energy

The wind or the sun were not unknown sources of energy, but their use was purely personal and occurred on a very small scale. When the Third Industrial Revolution arrived, both energies, along with other renewable energies, began to be investigated so that they could replace those based on oil.

Despite all this research, which has led to an increase in its use, the final objective is still far from being achieved.

Internet

Without a doubt, the most important invention of the Third Industrial Revolution has been the Internet. Thanks to this network everyone has been connected and has all the information they need at the touch of a few keys. At first it was a military invention, but it soon passed into the civil sphere.

Computers

The first computers or computers occupied an entire room. Its power, compared to the current ones, was very small and the processes were quite slow. Despite this, they were a revolution in all areas in which they were used.

Today they are much faster, smaller and, above all, incorporate the Internet, which has become the great tool of this era.

References

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