Technology and Social Inequality

Technology has the revolutionary power and people around world are enjoying this. Still there are 

anxieties and challenges around the potential role of technology for our everyday lives. Technology is cheaper, widely usable and universally accessible. It does not change the fact that rich people afford more than poor. The successive changes in technology and polarized use of technical skills have created a social inequality.  

 Deskilling, Automation, Flexible employment and Just in Time are the modern reflections of inequalities.Gender pay gap and  formation of new social class are the add on for social inequality. 

Can technology and techies solve the social inequality? Answer is YES.

o   Techies should not be alienated from the mainstream of society. It means technology and technical people should focus on social issues, social justice and social participation. When a technology is socially acceptable by the people , it creates a revolution like social media movements.

o   Techies should make technology on the basis of social context. It should not be intuitive but it should fulfill the real needs.

o   Technology should not overpower us but it is used for empowerment. Overpower leads to misuse.

o   Techies and technology should be aimed at social engineering. Changes and development should rope in to the framework of capacity, policy and planning.

o   Finally technology should be like a bridge rather than like a jack, which connects but widens socio -economic gap.