Social work in the era of WEB 3.0

Introduction

This article was written when the price of one bitcoin was equivalent to almost 70,000 USD. However, there is still limited understanding regarding the potential application of these cutting-edge technologies to social work in the new era. Practitioners should have heard about the name Web 3.0 or blockchain technology, but less than a significant portion of them are able to make good practical use of such a decentralized ecosystem that promises enhanced security, trust, and privacy for users, despite its immense potential when coming across the initial imprints of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) that helps shape the future of the digital world. Indeed, this technological reform has reshaped our comprehension of community, participation, and democratic engagement.

A minor consensus in the definition of Web 3.0 is that data has now been connected in a decentralized way by fostering more personalized user experiences on the Internet after the development of one-way media consumption in Web 1.0 and the emergence of social networking platforms in the Web 2.0 eras. Key technological breakthroughs of the new era include blockchain, AI, machine learning, and the semantic web, not to mention a list of fancy abbreviations like XR (eXtended Reality), NFT (Non-Fungible Token), DeFi (Decentralised Finance), DAO (Decentralised Autonomous Organisation), etc. Besides decentralization, connectivity, ubiquity, transparency, and pseudonymity are also key features of online activities in Web 3.0. Other than as bystanders, should there be a role for social workers to perform in the era of Web 3.0? What are the major impacts on our service users amid the chaos? Should there be a distinction between online and offline social work anymore?

Metaverse versus the third “digital” world

For social workers, being either digital natives or digital immigrants, one of the most oppressed groups that deserve their immediate attention in this new era is indeed the “digital refugees,” whose livelihoods and well-being have been heavily disrupted by rapid digitalization. In response to this global digital transformation, there are (or will be) people who have chosen or been forced to stay away from the metaverse, and both are left behind in the third “digital” world which is underdeveloped technically, economically, and/or socially.

Mathiyazhagan et al. (2022) stressed the need of a metaverse for social work in dealing with problems of digital harm, biased algorithms, the digital divide, and digital illiteracy. The existing social inequalities and mental health crises in the real world will certainly be amplified in the non-regulated virtual world. Though violating the fundamental ideology of eliminating a centralized governing body in Web 3.0, Mathiyazhagan and colleagues called for local and global legislations to regulate emerging technologies to ensure algorithmic equity, minimize digital harm, and protect vulnerable groups. This view echoes the urgent call for the legal regulation of crypto after the collapse of FTX.

Neo-ecological theory in the technologized world

Navarro and Tudge (2023) recently proposed an adaptation of the seminal ecological model developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner in the late 1970s. Besides the original five nested levels, namely Micro-, Meso-, Eco-, Macro-, and Chronosystems, Navarro and Tudge delineated two new types of microsystems, that is, physical and virtual, and emphasized the influences of culture and within-society subculture on the macrosystem, in reflecting the current virtual and technological contexts. This neo-ecological theory has been informed by prominent features of the technologized world, including synchronicity, availability, publicness, permanence, and cue absence. In a nutshell, as online interactions can take place in real-time or with a time lag, spatial and temporal constraints in human contact have been largely minimized. And as less nonverbal interpersonal cues could be provided in computer-mediated communication channels, social workers and policymakers need an overarching theory that enriches the person-in-environment perspective in the digital age.

Role of social work reconsidered

The fundamental ideas underpinning Web 3.0 are revolutionary but could simultaneously be potentially disruptive. Have people and the surrounding systems been ready to embrace such a brand-new Utopia that is operated in a transparent, anonymized, decentralized, and immutable manner? In this regard, the role of social work should be carefully calibrated alongside this evolution process. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, digital transformation has been accelerated literally in all sectors, including social work (Tsang et al., 2022). However, the profession still relies heavily on face-to-face encounters, despite a paradigm shift to online practice characterized by diverse ICT options and a client-driven approach, and necessary creativity is being advocated (Mishna et al., 2021). The original “broker” role through which social workers link clients to needed resources has to be enhanced, that is, by becoming a broker between the physical world and the metaverse. A new “translator” role in social work is emerging. Though new keywords, jargon, and abbreviations have already permeated our lexicon, the language of the digital age is still messy, as it has been extremely difficult to ascertain their intended meanings (Navarro & Tudge, 2023). Social workers could work with clients not only in learning the Web 3.0 language but also co-constructing new discourses to counter the power imbalance.

What should social workers do in the era of web 3.0?

Practice examples in the Web 3.0 era

The third author of this article works at an integrated service center for children and youth in Hong Kong. The center has been focusing on the whole-person development of deprived or disadvantaged youth in the district and providing them with counseling services and developmental group activities, including sports, dance, music, art creation, etc. In the past 3 years, the COVID-19 epidemic has caused young people to be isolated and reduced their motivation to participate in face-to-face activities. Coinciding with the emergence of concepts like cryptocurrency, blockchain, NFT, and Web 3.0, the technological development and the epidemic have prompted social workers to consider the importance of developing unconventional services and strengthening the digital competence of youth by integrating the new concepts of Web 3.0 into social services.

Many young people are keen to participate in artistic and creative activities like music, photography, drawing, and handicrafts. However, due to the impact of the pandemic, there was no opportunity to physically display their creations to the public, posing challenges to further improvement of their related skills and enhancement of their self-confidence. The center began to use online live broadcasts and social media, hoping to provide different platforms for them to show their results to more people without geographical and time constraints. In 2022, the center also cooperated with a startup company providing NFT technology for artists and photographers. Computer graphics and photos of youth were minted into NFT and displayed on their platform as a permanent exhibition.

Through this cooperation, young people's works could be displayed on the same platform as those of masters, increasing the opportunities for people to appreciate or understand their idea and promoting greater communication. Youth could also learn from the works of masters to enhance their motivation for the continuous development of interests, leading to success and satisfaction. They could avail this opportunity to get in touch with Web 3.0 and become cobuilders or content creators, enhancing their digital competencies in the process.

As the pandemic eased, the center conceived of the Online-to-Offline (O2O) service model. A youth talent exhibition was conducted. The reflection of youths was prerecorded and put on the blockchain so that audiences were able to learn more about the feelings and learning of youths by scanning the QR Code at the exhibition. It promoted mutual respect and enhanced inclusion. Parents of some youth also understand their children better, thus improving parent–child relationships. By receiving more recognition and encouragement, the youth had a satisfying feeling of acceptance by their families and the public, and their negative emotions were banished.

The above trial of the concept of Web 3.0 has certain effects on the development of young people's future skills, broadening their social networks and promoting inclusiveness. The center also held an NFT charity sale for the aforesaid art pieces. After deducting the cost, the balance was used to support the youth's continuous training and the purchase of related equipment for talent development. It could further endow youth creativity with measurable economic value and promote sustainable development. Further, the owners of the NFT became supporting partners of the center. They were given privileges to join future activities and could also provide opinions, or even participate in decision-making, aimed at gradually forming a collaborative relationship in the online community as a DAO.

In the future, to explore more Web 3.0 applications in the social service industry, social workers need to enrich their understanding and access relevant information for developing a creative mind to explore different application opportunities. However, interprofessional cooperation and communication are still required to resolve the numerous technical issues involved. Social workers should focus on upholding professionalism to ensure that there is no compromise in personal data and privacy protection and reducing cyberbullying behaviors, for the sake of service users’ benefits.