Tech’s broken promises: Streaming is now just as expensive and confusing as cable. Ubers cost as much as taxis. And the cloud is no longer cheap::Some tech is getting pricier and looking a lot like the older services it was supposed to beat. From video streaming to ride-hailing and cloud computing.
While a bit effusive, I do think their outburst is still relevant because I feel like it’s a very common one people get when they’re formulating a bit of an epiphany about the world and the relationship between tech and society.
See, we’re used, both in media and in actual examples, to see Tech solve problems. In the 80’s everyone used maps. In the 2010’s, everyone used Google Maps. Tech does effectively to have this power. It can make life easier and it can change people.
So from there comes the expectation. Tech has solved these problems, so SURELY tech will also solve these other ones too right? Using Tech for food delivery and ride-sharing must SURELY be a valid solution.
“I don’t get it, we have the tech already, so why are there still problems?”
We cured AIDS, using literally handmade vaccines. And yet Americans are still homophobic. That’s a problem from the 60’s.
And that’s the epiphany:
Tech doesn’t solve people problems.