Sure, some will choose not to participate in the brave new world of technology change. That's to be expected. But for those who want to participate in the new world but lack the education to use technology, the means to afford it, or are just plain alienated from essential technologies — they're being forced to the back of the bus.
Are we OK with the emergence of modern castes made up of the technologically connected, semi-connected and disconnected groups? If technology connectedness is becoming a critical factor for modern success — melding with education, social connections, wealth, etc. — shouldn't we be thinking more proactively of ways to avoid social divisions resulting from technology-based knowledge and opportunity gaps?
These are tough questions. Questions for which there are no easy answers.
An important lesson we all learned during the dot-com boom was that throwing money at technology only provided short-term benefits. We should also have learned that throwing computers and the Internet at the problem of class divides would only get us so far.
But the current trend of trickle-down technology, or letting the marketplace determine who gets technology and who doesn't, isn't the answer either.
If we truly believe that technology access and use is a critical determinant for modern success, and if technology is indeed becoming a more important factor in the complex equation that determines social class and mobility, then we need to take a closer, more nuanced look at the technology and class divide issue. Perhaps it's time to see beyond how many people have computers, the Internet, mobile phones and other gadgets, and look instead at the quality of their "connections". Perhaps it's time to try and identify specific technology-related knowledge and opportunity gaps and then figure out more-effective ways of lifting people via technology in ways that benefit us all. Some broader solutions might include:
• Bringing every community online by 2010. Creating statewide or national universal broadband access and launching a technology awareness, availability, and accessibility campaign to connect all citizens to relevant and changing technology products and services (not just the Internet and computers) over the next five years.
• Establishing standards for digital literacy and offering curricula for technology training from public pre-school all the way through public college and in the workplace. Such standards would be revised every two years or so to reflect new technologies.
• Launching a dialogue between communities, business and government to help forge appropriate short- and long-term community technology policies. Appointing a community technology czar to lead this dialogue and to author a five-year technology plan with specific recommendations for state and national governments.
• Establishing digital empowerment zones. DEZs would offer tax and other incentives for the establishment of tech businesses, innovation centres and next-generation broadband access services outside of traditional high-tech sectors and already well-connected communities. Virtual DEZ portals and interactive communities could also be host points for new media, open source and citizen journalism opportunities with content that targets underserved communities.
Though I no longer think information technology will change everything, I remain hopeful that it can still make a difference.
Consultant Paul Lamb is a fellow with the Community Technology Foundation of California.
