Jun 25, 2020
Is tech-veganism the trend of the future?
How the debate over ethical technology will lead to an industry where there’s something for everyone
We all use technology even if we are not directly involved in the industry. While, of course, we have interactions with plenty of industries we do not have a role in ourselves, technology plays a proportionally larger role in a majority people’s lives in comparison with number of people who produce said technology. And because the risks involved with not understanding it are relatively high compared to other fields we don’t understand, technological awareness is becoming less and less and niche and more so common knowledge.
For example, we don’t have to understand the process of catalytic cracking to trust that the gasoline we pump into our cars will be consumed as fuel and allow us to drive. Perhaps the only other industry that poses the same level of risks as technology is food, and people have become intensely more aware of what goes on in that industry in recent years, seen in the rise of organic, vegan/vegetarianism, fair trade, and all other sorts of mindful food consumption trends.
I think there will be something like this in the tech industry very soon. Not to say that there’s anything inherently evil about the tech industry as it is, but people will soon realize the colossal effects the decisions of many have on the few, and then start to take a more active, and educated, approach when it comes to their technological lives. This will lead to something like an organic movement for technology, where people opt for a higher quality product at a higher price, not because of any different in the specific features it offer, but simply by virtue of the process in which it was developed. Namely, people will take a more active interest in the “mission” behind the companies whose products they use, and decide whether that company’s values align with their own.
The signs of this happening are already there, with several large tech companies being under scrutiny by government and consumers alike. But up until now it’s been very divisive and extreme. There are the tech vegans (“Facebook is bad, don’t use it”), and the tech normies, i.e. those who don’t care about where the food (software) is coming from, as long as it tastes good (functions well). But what’s lacking is the option to take a mindful approach to technology which does not entail eliminating certain companies from your life completely (or, attempting to, at least. Living without Google is harder than you might think).
What I see happening in the future is simply more options. Similar products but all coming from smaller players in the industry, rather than one of the big giants, and that those smaller players being able to subsist indefinitely without having to be acquired. Think Whole Foods (now a mainstream brand) vs. your local hipster grocery market. They can both co-exist without competing with each other. You can shop at either one according to price, social impact, convenience, and of course, quality.
I think we’re at a turning point in the evolution of technology for the masses. The younger generation is already more aware of, and knowledgeable about, the risks associated with technologies we use every day than the older generation were regarding the technology they use (think, cable TV and cell phones). And the fact that technology is becoming more and more a part of everyone’s lives means that we can see the awareness continue to expand. Ultimately the extremes will balance themselves out, and people of all technological persuasions will be able to lead their lives peacefully, using the software that resonates with them the most.
