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by devx
4477 days ago
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You say that, but I've seen it before in my own poor country - people would rather buy expensive smartphones than better food. This technology matters to people. The Internet matters to people, more than you think. Because it's not just a technology, it's a way to connect people. That's why it can be more important than safe drinking water or food to a lot of people. It's not just a matter of "gadget vs staying alive". There are other fundamental issues at stake here. There is also research that shows that the more technologically advanced an area is, the richer it becomes - which means jobs, infrastructure, and food and clean water for people. So don't dismiss it so easily. Technology through phones and Internet is also helping people have more democratic states, which is also a pretty critical issue in Africa. People can talk to each other and inform themselves better. They can organize and protest. They can chase away the dictators this way. So who are you to say that clean water is definitely more important to them than technology? |
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I wish. They buy the smartphone as a status symbol not because tech matters to them.
Certainly tech brings wide ranging benefits, but much like Maslow's hierarchy of needs you need to fulfill the basics first. Jumping straight to the top doesn't make the rest magically appear.
It might differ by country but here tech in general favours the middle class. The really poor are just too far behind to leverage it. What good is access to the internet if the guy can't read?
>They can chase away the dictators this way. So who are you to say that clean water is definitely more important to them than technology?
What good is chasing away dictators if you die from dehydration on day 3 of the protest? Unlike drinkable water, iphones are optional to survival.