CONTROLLING
TECHNOLOGY
Tutorial 10: RQ 3, 4 | DQ 7.26
Presented by Mark Cain
OVERVIEW
• Review Questions:
3. Why do computers affect the relationship between haves and have-nots? Explain
4. Why aren’t computer systems likely to be developed for the have-nots unless some deliberate social
efforts are made?
• Discussion Question:
7.26: Which of the Luddite criticisms of computers do you consider the most valid & significant? Why?
KEY POINTS WE
NEED TO KNOW:
Computers and Community
Computers have been a disputed topic
within communities since the early stages.
Computers each have their respective pros
and cons which led to the Digital Divide.
Here are some things to note:
• Human association with common
interest is natural.
• Computers and the Internet has been
criticized for contributing to the
decline in face-to-face community
involvement
The Digital Divide
The digital divide refers to the gap
between individuals, communities, or
countries that have access to modern
information and communication
technologies and those that do not.
This includes disparties in:
• Internet Access
• Digital Devices and Literacy
RQ 3. WHY DO COMPUTERS AFFECT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HAVES AND
THE HAVE-NOTS?
Firstly, Who are the haves and who are the have nots?
• Haves: These are persons with internet access, digital literacy and oppurtunities
for remote learning or work.
• Have-Nots: These are the others who have no/poor internet access, poor digital
literacy and/or limited access to jobs, education or even healthcare.
Some effects of computers on the Haves and the Have-Nots includes Economic
Barriers, Educational Disparities, Job Mark Polarization and Geographic Inequalities.
EFFECTS
EXPLANATION
Economic Barriers
Geographic Inequality
• High costs of devices, internet
access, and software exclude
low-income populations.
• Example: Rural families in
developing nations often lack
affordable broadband.
• Urban areas have 5G networks;
remote regions rely on slow or
no internet.
• Global Example: Silicon Valley
vs. limited tech infrastructure in
parts of Africa.
RQ 4. WHY AREN’T COMPUTER SYSTEMS LIKELY
TO BE DEVELOPED FOR THE HAVE-NOTS UNLESS
SOME DELIBERATE SOCIAL EFFORTS ARE MADE?
The digital divide between Jamaica's urban and rural communities highlights how
profit-driven innovation and high infrastructure costs exclude low-income
populations from technology access. While companies prioritize lucrative urban
markets, rural areas face internet gaps, expensive mobile data, and banking barriers—
deepening inequality in education, jobs, and healthcare.
PROFIT-DRIVEN
INNOVATION
Tech companies prioritize markets with purchasing power, leading to
innovations that cater to affluent users while neglecting low-income
populations.
In Jamaica's tech landscape, profit motives lead companies to develop
services for those who can pay, while neglecting affordable solutions for
low-income communities.
Many rural Jamaicans lack basic internet access and devices smartphones remain unaffordable for 40% of the population, and
budget-friendly data plans are scarce, forcing the poor to choose
between connectivity and essentials like food and transportation.
This exclusion creates a vicious cycle: without devices and
affordable data, Jamaica's underserved populations miss digital
banking, online education, and remote work opportunities, further
entrenching poverty. While urban professionals enjoy high-speed
internet and mobile apps
HIGH INFRASTRUCTURE
COSTS
Deploying internet in remote areas is expensive, with low return on investment
(ROI), so telecom companies focus on urban centers.
1. Internet Coverage Disparities
⚬ Urban (Kingston, Montego Bay):
￭ 5G trials by Flow & Digicel, fiber-optic
broadband.
⚬ Rural (Trelawny, Portland):
￭ Weak or no signal, reliance on expensive
cellular data (Digicel/Flow LTE).
⚬ Why? Laying fiber in mountains (e.g., Blue
Mountains) costs 10x more than in cities.
2. Failed Rural Tech Projects
⚬ Government’s "Tablets in Schools" Initiative:
￭ Many rural schools received tablets but
no internet, rendering them useless.
⚬ Bridging the Gap Attempts:
￭ Universal Service Fund (USF) subsidizes
rural internet, but progress is slow due to
high costs.
DQ 7.26: WHICH OF THE LUDDITE
CRITICISMS OF COMPUTERS DO YOU
CONSIDER THE MOST VALID &
SIGNIFICANT? WHY?
LUDDITE CRITICISMS
1. Job Destruction
⚬ Machines
replace
human
labor,
causing
unemployment.
⚬ Modern equivalent: AI automating clerical,
manufacturing, and creative jobs.
2. Skill Erosion
⚬ Technology devalues craftsmanship, making
workers dependent on machines.
⚬ Modern equivalent: Overreliance on GPS weakens
navigation skills; ChatGPT reduces writing effort.
3. Social Alienation
⚬ Industrialization broke community ties; digital tech
reduces face-to-face interaction.
⚬ Modern equivalent: Social media linking people
globally but increasing loneliness (CDC data shows
rising depression).
1. Economic Inequality
⚬ Factory owners grew wealthy while workers
suffered wage cuts.
⚬ Modern equivalent: Tech billionaires vs. gig
workers in precarious jobs.
2. Loss of Autonomy
⚬ Workers lost control over labor conditions to
machines.
⚬ Modern equivalent: Algorithmic management
(e.g., Amazon’s warehouse tracking).
3. Privacy Erosion
⚬ (Emergent modern critique) Surveillance tech
exploits personal data (e.g., facial recognition).
TOP 2 VALID MODERN
CRITICISMS
Job Destruction
Automation and AI threaten jobs faster
than replacements emerge, especially in
manufacturing and services. Over 30% of
roles
may
vanish
by
2030,
disproportionately impacting low-skilled
workers. Without retraining, displaced
employees face lasting unemployment,
worsening inequality—seen in Jamaica's
shrinking banking and agriculture jobs.
Social Alienation
Tech replaces deep human connections
with shallow digital interactions, driving
loneliness and mental health declines.
While linking people globally, it erodes
local bonds—evident in Jamaica’s fading
community gatherings and rising isolation
despite social media use. Progress
shouldn’t sacrifice fundamental human
needs for belonging.
THE MOST VALID:
JOB DESTRUCTION
The most valid Luddite criticism is job destruction because it creates
tangible, immediate harm by threatening basic survival needs like food and
housing, unlike social alienation's more gradual impacts. Its consequences
are often irreversible, as displaced workers face permanent poverty without
systemic support, while social connections can potentially recover. This
issue operates on a global scale, affecting billions in both formal and
informal economies worldwide, whereas alienation primarily troubles
industrialized nations. Most critically, job loss compounds other crises—
deepening inequality, limiting healthcare access, and destabilizing families—
creating ripple effects that social isolation alone cannot match in severity or
scope.
CONCLUSION
This analysis has examined key concerns about technology's societal impacts—from Jamaica's
digital divide to Luddite criticisms of job loss and social alienation. While profit-driven
innovation and infrastructure costs exclude marginalized communities, automation's threat
to livelihoods emerges as the most urgent challenge. However, social alienation and privacy
erosion remain significant secondary effects. These issues collectively demonstrate that
technological progress requires deliberate policy interventions to ensure equitable access, job
protection, and human-centered design. Without such measures, technology risks deepening
existing inequalities rather than fostering inclusive development.
REFERENCES
1. McKinsey (2017). Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained
2. CDC (2023). Youth Mental Health Data
3. PIOJ (2022). Jamaica Digital Divide Report
4.Sale, K. (1995). Rebels Against the Future
5. Brynjolfsson & McAfee (2014). The Second
Machine Age