The Digital Divide
As we continue to advance technologically, what will happen to those who are left behind?
Here we are, talking about self-driving cars and artificial intelligence, obsessing over how we can become ever more productive by way of the latest “do it for me” apps and life hacks. On the flipside, we have come to expect immediate entertainment via instant access to on-demand, streaming content and social media-fueled endorphin binges. The list of conveniences and little luxuries we’ve grown accustomed to in our consumption-centric, technology-enabled world grows almost daily.
The speed of change is rapid, and life seems to be getting easier for many of us in developed countries. Think about where we’ll be in 3 years or … 35. It’s almost unfathomable.
Meanwhile, it’s easy to forget that there are people in our world whose daily existence and purpose is almost solely focused on basic survival.
They live and work amidst severe infrastructure, economic, and civic problems. Some don’t have running water or electricity. Many are significantly under-employed and lack access to the education and opportunity needed in order to improve their situation. Few carry advanced smart phones and markedly, fewer are concerned about logging their daily steps. The disparity is stark.
I’m becoming increasingly interested in what will happen to the stability of our country and other developed societies as we continue to advance technologically, while others continue to fall further behind by staying where they are today.
While no silver bullet exists that will immediately solve all infrastructure, political, and economic gaps, I believe that those of us who have been fortunate in life share a responsibility to both ourselves and others to help in whatever way we can.
Remember, we are not saviors.
I attended a conference recently on business and entrepreneurship in Africa and one of the speakers said something that has stuck with me: “Brilliance is distributed evenly around the world, opportunity is not.” (Thank you for that, CeCe.)
We might have the technology and even the wealth to do more, but we are not here to “save” developing countries or the people who live within them. People are widely intelligent, creative, and resourceful and, like us, are simply looking for opportunities to create a better future for themselves, their families, their communities, and their countries.
If we want to do better for others and feel like we’ve made a difference in the world, it’s crucial that we understand this. We can share, facilitate, encourage, and collaborate — but, we do not save.
Leverage our privilege.
Because we live in a truly inter-connected global community the impact we can make goes beyond where we live geographically. Human beings are inspired to action through the passion and enthusiasm of others.
And one way that we can become contributing citizens of the world is by sharing our expertise and knowledge with those who would benefit most from it.
There are a number of opportunities to hear first-hand from people in underserved communities as to what knowledge or skills they are most interested in learning. I’ve even included a list below. We should tap into these organizations that exist, causes to volunteer our time to, and people to mentor who will benefit from the things we’re personally passionate about.
Living our values.
If you work for a for-profit business, you have to care about achieving long-term business growth goals and hitting financial targets. Here at Level, our company values go beyond just the bottom line — we have a passionate worldview, promote environmental and economic sustainability, and empower our team members to get involved with organizations and causes in which they believe.
Everyone at Level receives paid time off to volunteer with an organization of his or her choice.
For example, I’m encouraging members of my technology team to volunteer for a full day with an organization whose mission is to help reduce recidivism and increase job opportunities for prisoners upon their release by providing them with career and technical skills training. It’s a great opportunity to come together as a team and leverage our expertise and knowledge in order to have a positive impact in the world.
There are a number of great organizations out there that could benefit from the skills and knowledge you have, and I encourage you to seek them out and let others in your organization know about them too.
How can you help?
If you’re interested in learning more and ready to share your knowledge, here are a few organizations to contact and get started with:
SEED, The Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies
Catchafire
The School in the Cloud
Project Kakuma
And remember, those of us who have the privilege, opportunities, and means to do better for ourselves should be the ones most motivated to think about what we can do for others as well. Because as the digital divide continues to grow, we have to wonder what will happen when the gap becomes too wide to bridge.
Michael Phillips is Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Level, a digital design firm. He is also founder of 100 Entrepreneurs and volunteers with Stanford’s Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies as a Transformation Program Consultant.
