The BBC posted an article today in which the author speculated on the possible negative affects of new technologies in the developing world:
…what happens if new tools or services disrupt established community practices, as with the use of mobile phones to allow young men and women to contact each other freely in cultures that normally segregate the sexes?
On the whole, I find this short article interesting, but a little patriarchal in its assumptions. The developing world is going to react to new technology in its own ways — just as we did in the “developed” world. Reactions will be unpredictable, sure — but it’s not up to the “first world” to tell the “third world” what to do. The genie is already out of the bottle!
With the introduction of new technology, each community/society needs to go through its own “growing pains” and decide how to handle the technology. Even in our “developed country”, there is great debate on what are the proper and improper uses of technology. We don’t even have the solutions to our problems; it doesn’t make sense for us to tell other what to do.
It is very interesting, to see how something so small as a cell phone, which so many people take for granted everyday can change someone’s life entirely. I do believe that it is a humongous leap for a third world country to go from having no technology to having mobile phones easily accessible. Do this companies offering the phones really have these third world countries best interest at heart, or are they just another new $consumers$?
Should we start with the more simple necessties like clean water before bringing in mobile phones?
I believe introducing new technologies like cell phones, or the means for developing better technologies to bring about change in necessities is a fundamental key for a nation to develop. Efficient ways of producing commodities are fundamentals, and technology is only going to give an advantage. Increasing new technologies also provides tremendous opportunities for growing a more educated and more modern youth, which is the backbone for any developing nation.
Introducing new technologies have its advantage and disadvantages. on one hand of that, people get new technologies can help their lives become more developed and effective. like people have phone could connect their relatives over the ocean, and computers could do lots of things instead of people. However, people become lazier than before after they get knowing new technologies. For that, few people like to walk after they getting cars. people should really consider that new technologies could help people or kill people. Technologies make
(xiaoshu zhu)