We have all heard it before. Why we strive to be the one to be disrupting – build the next Door dash, AirBnB, why Amazon even. Noam Cohen in his piece ‘Seeing Through Silicon Valley’s Shameless Disruption’ in Wired provokes some critical thoughts.
The track record of ‘Facebooks involvement in the 2016 election, Youtube’s algorithmic promotion of anger and extremism, Amazon’s assault on small bookstores and local retail outlets ‘- provides a different narrative from the disruption driven monopolies the Silicon Valley mavens have been espousing.
He writes – ‘Because, let’s face it, Silicon Valley technology … isn’t so transformative that it would simply replace the existing systems on its merits. Uber isn’t better than a good mass-transit system; Facebook isn’t better than actual friendship; YouTube videos aren’t better than quality entertainment; a neighborhood littered with Airbnbs isn’t better than a community-oriented one; a computerized learning plan isn’t better than a great teacher. They may be more efficient… or less expensive, but better?’
It’s time the tech leaders held themselves responsible for the social fallout just as they intend to enjoy the $Bns’.
Where I learnt it #235
SEEING THROUGH SILICON VALLEY’S SHAMELESS ‘DISRUPTION’ https://www.wired.com/story/seeing-through-silicon-valleys-shameless-disruption/
