Digitalization and social change. From apocalyptic expectations to the technopolitical of the present

Abstract

In recent decades, the spread of digitalization has transformed the processes of political participation and citizen mobilization in diverse and unexpected ways. Contrary to what was initially expected, the consequences of the technologization of the political field have been very complex. The greatest innovations have taken place in the space of unconventional political participation, through a set of technologically mediated interventions full of light and shadows. This article offers a sample of some of the emerging digital political practices that have appeared in recent years. The objective is not to position oneself in a debate about diagnoses or moral evaluations but to map the digital tools for political participation without falling into a techno-deterministic, conciliatory or celebratory perspective. Rather, it aims to analyze different intervention models, both successful and unsuccessful, placing them in their historical context and assessing their strengths and weaknesses.