Less love for tech's impact on Silicon Valley

آخرین مطالب

امکانات وب

Less love for tech's impact on Silicon Valley - CNET

Technology is supposed to make our lives better, but it's making some people's lives worse.

A recent survey found Califoians have a low opinion of the tech industry that's helping fuel its economy. Nearly half of respondents in the San Francisco Bay Area said the tech industry is hurting the middle class, and more than half said it is hurting the poor.

Jonathan Wibberley, who runs the West Coast division of research firm Edelman Berland, said that despite critiques, the tech industry is still the most trusted in Califoia, above other influential industries like agriculture, retail and energy. But respondents to the survey said the tech industry isn't sharing prosperity enough.

The result is that people are getting increasingly frustrated as they watch rising house prices and widening inequality.

"You have to have a broader impact on society," he said.

It's a reminder that while Silicon Valley executives frequently talk about the positive impact they believe they're making on people's lives, there's a large group of people who aren't convinced this is true. This is going beyond the question of whether we're in a tech industry bubble -- that's still being debated.

This is about whether the industry is actually making people's lives better. And it appears people are saying that a faster and slimmer gadget that makes it easier to post a photo to their social networking account just isn't enough.

Throughout its study, Edelman found that people in Califoia are frustrated by economic inequality. For example, 76 percent of respondents said they believe technology has benefited the wealthy, while only 19 percent believe it's benefited the poor (remember that more than half say technology is in fact hurting the poor).

So who needs to fix it?

You could say it's Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's co-founder, who is the most top-of-mind CEO among survey respondents, followed by Bill Gates (though he's no longer in charge at Microsoft) and Apple's Tim Cook. Of course, Zuckerberg and Gates are both known for their philanthropic efforts, so maybe the message has already been received.

All told, Ravi Moorthy, managing director of corporate and public affairs for Edelman, said these responses indicate that people's faith in the tech industry could erode, even if it's been the most trusted for the survey's past 16 years.

"We're getting initial signs that this overall sheen and halo tech has may not be a guaranteed thing forever," he said.

Less love for tech's impact on Silicon Valley - CNET

آخرین مطالب

امکانات وب

Less love for tech's impact on Silicon Valley - CNET

صفحه بندی

آرشیو مطالب

پيوندهای روزانه

لینک دوستان

خبرنامه