How is technology impacting social and economic divisions in cities?
(This post is a response to a group blogging event organized by Meeting of the Minds and Tumml.)
Fundamentally, new tools and technologies reinforce existing
behaviors and tendencies. A group or strata of society that has a tendency to
isolate itself from other parts of society will likely use technologies to reinforce
this isolation or insulation. Despite these tendencies, however, the nature of
new connection technologies and social media trends is too create a more
integrated network of communication, with an inevitable end result of increased
transparency across socioeconomic groups. As a result, groups seeking to hide
illegal, unjust, or immoral behaviors are likely to face increased obstacles to
keeping such activity secret, with a proportional (or even exponential)
increase in likely exposure as the number of individuals negatively affected
grows. Conversely, behavior or initiatives that positively impact society
through expanded social discourse and inclusive policies are likely to find
that improved connection technologies will result in dramatic growth in the
opportunities for exposure and dissemination of their message.
Naysayers who are skeptical about the ability of
marginalized groups (e.g. the homeless, youth, the elderly, and poor or
isolated populations in developing economies) often point to a lack of
willingness, access, or resources for these groups to participate in open
dialogue about the issues that contribute to their isolation or lack of
opportunity for engagement. Relatively simple cellular technologies, including
SMS text messaging and expanding access to wireless networks are rapidly
improving the capacity of marginalized groups to benefit from trends towards
increased transparency. One simple example is the expanded use of cell phone
technology to help homeless populations streamline the daily process of finding
a bed in a shelter for the night. These trends towards improved access are
supporting:
- The democratization of decision making through the development of basic technology tools for election monitoring and the reporting of political corruption;
- Improved mechanisms for supporting environmental protection through expanded education, monitoring, and polluter reporting;
- Expanded accountability for human rights abuses afforded from exposure on social media platforms and the global dissemination of information about offenders through photos and videos on the internet;
- Public outreach and participation in the municipal, regional, and federal decision making process through internet outreach.
There is no question that some
groups and elements of established power structures will try to use new
technology to consolidate power and marginalize disenfranchised parts of
society. But expanded access to these technologies will ultimately favor
tendencies towards increased transparency and open dialogue.
