Paper short abstract:

This paper examines attitudes toward digitalization by studying the prevalence of fears and hopes about digitalization and the future of work among the economically active population in Ghana.

Paper long abstract:

Digitalization and the future of work inspire both hopes and fears among citizens. However, while there are a lot of studies on public opinion on these topics for OECD countries, in developing countries we find much less research. We present evidence from a field survey with an experimental component in Ghana. We show that while hopes are much more pronounced than in advanced economies, opinions also change once people are exposed to new types of information. We also investigate reasons that explain differences in attitudes and what people even associate with digitalization. Our findings have broader implications for the acceptance and usage of ICT and the future of work in developing countries.