The Tech Backlash

Here's another article from Fast Company, this time about the tech industry and how the industry is experiencing a backlash. There has been an onslaught of negative media, centering over these main points:

• regular folks' fear of automation sweeping across the business world, bringing everlasting unemployment and destitute living,
• the awful bro culture, and
• the vast wealth for the few while everyone else struggles.

Here are some choice and damning quotes:

"We’re spending $1,000 to carry a device designed to harvest data about us for other people to profit from. That’s getting a bit old.” A quote from a tech fan. Fast Company, "Why the Public's Love Affair with Silicon Valley Might Be Over", Mike Elgan, 9, 27, 2017.

"The home automation segment of the growing internet-of-things trend takes familiar, analog devices like thermostats, toasters, and light bulbs and turns them into finicky gadgets consumers neither understand nor easily control." Fast Company, ibid.

"The Valley’s favorite word–“disruption”–rings hollow to those whose livelihoods are “disrupted.”" Fast Company, ibid.

"...technology companies are working to invent self-driving delivery trucks. A tiny number of technologists may become billionaires for this innovation, which could eliminate millions of jobs." Fast Company, ibid.

"Hardware companies are blamed for exploiting cheap factory labor in one country, selling their products at inflated prices in another, and all the while evading taxes by exploiting loopholes in whichever countries offer them. Apple, for instance, is accused of dodging $60 billion in U.S. taxes by keeping its more than $260 billion cash hoard overseas." Fast Company, ibid.

Well, I can't say I'm surprised by this. Just the threat of losing your job to automation is enough to create a backlash.  All of the rest is just further insult to the situation.

So yes, people are getting scared and either want to slow things down or turn back the clock.

But either way, we still love our toys.