Thursday, May 4, 2017

Technological inequality

US inequality has been rising for decades, but it gained political prominence after the Great Recession gave rise to grassroots movements like Occupy Wall Street, forcing both political parties to start openly debating the issue. The Pew Research Center highlighted persistent inequities in access to basic technologies in a recent report, which found nearly half of US households with incomes below $30,000 a year do not have access to high-speed internet at home, while nearly one third do not own a smartphone. This makes it even harder for poorer families to catch up financially and professionally. With new computers and automation increasingly permeating not only manufacturing but also services, those with less familiarity with or access to the Internet, computers, and smartphones are left at a considerable disadvantage. Two-thirds of adults living in high-earning households have high-speed web access at home, a smartphone, a desktop or laptop computer, and a tablet, compared with 17% of those living in low-income households.

How should the United States address the issue of technological inequality? What are some measures to help try to decrease the amount of inequality in technology usage?

6 comments:

  1. The technology gap is a serious issue. Although Gordon denounces internet and smartphones as non-essential inventions, being out of the loop in today's connected world is a difficult place to be. Hopefully prices for internet access, computers and smartphones will continue to fall, making them more accessible for everyone.

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  2. It is a sad truth and issue. I think in today's world, information is such an important theme in daily life. If there's not enough people get updated or receive the same amount of information as others, it will continuously widen the gap. I agree with Zoe, if the prices for internet, technological devices drop continuously, it will be more accessible for everyone

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  3. I agree with Zoe and Sunny. It's so easy to be consumed, and live in a bubble where you assume that everyone is connected through the internet/technology. I think this inequality exists because of how consolidated the market is on the supply side (for every tech industry). A good step would probably be to allow more companies to enter the market to make it more competitive (?). The momentum is in favor of smartphones, computers and the internet and we are all sold by the idea, so it seems almost impossible to stop and think about people who don't have the same access.

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  4. It's interesting to think of it in a global context too. For example, in Africa, while access to technology and internet penetration has increased significantly over the last few years, we still lag behind many developed countries. There is also a disparity between who has access to technology and wifi, and who does not, and this will definitely prove a problem in the coming years as technology becomes even more vital for progress. It is crucial that we equip the younger generation with access to these tools.

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  5. I agree with Zoe. I believe Gordon is wrong when he says internet and smartphones are non-essentials.

    One solution could be to have more regulation on these markets. In many places, only one phone carrier or one internet provider is available in a region. This causes monopoly-like symptoms in these regions. A price ceiling on businesses in these markets may be a feasible solution.

    One company that has been making steps towards leveling the playing field is Google. They are working on providing free internet to different parts of the world.

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  6. The only problem is that competition in utilities often makes things less efficient. Even in the United States, cell towers are owned by a small handful of the providers like Verizon or Sprint, who rent the bandwidth to the smaller carriers. Often times, the infrastructure is easier to develop with a regulated monopoly.

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