Conclusion

This book suggested some theoretical foundations to understand digital-environmental poverty in the context of digital technological acceleration and increasing environmental urgency. In so doing it showed that poverty is an intricate and multifaced phenomenon, which is also context-dependent and, consequently, subject to different perspectives and approaches. The causes and effects of poverty evolve, and our conceptual frameworks and instruments for investigating it also need to adapt. In this direction, the concept of digital poverty has become crucial to understanding marked forms of marginalization. This includes partial or complete exclusion from the digital realm where resources and opportunities have shifted. The acquisition of traditional digital skills might not be sufficient to address digital-environmental poverty. AI-related skills, including AI awareness and competencies, are needed to recognize the risks, for example, associated with algorithmic biases, privacy breaches, and security management. It also involves an understanding of automated judgments made by algorithms, as well as essential skills and competencies required to harness the benefits of digital technologies and address the associated challenges, including potential harm to the natural environment. This is directly connected to the environmental dimension of poverty, which further affects the quality of life. This is not solely due to deprived natural ecosystems, but it is also a consequence of scarce environmental awareness and limited involvement in pro-environmental behaviors and policy-making aimed at fostering digital-environmental sustainability. This conclusive paragraph aims to provide some takeaways and associated policy recommendations from the book (Table 11.2).