There are countless organizations devoted to providing aid to underprivileged people all over the world. This aid can come in the form of food, clothes, money, or even livestock. However, one organization that has received a lot of press recently is devoted to putting a laptop computer into the hands of every child in the world. The organization is aptly named “One Laptop per Child” (OLPC), and has developed a laptop that can be produced for under $100. A few large scale plans have been introduced to distribute the laptops to children. Nigeria has ordered one million computers, and Mitt Romney attempted to pass a bill that would provide a computer to every child in Massachusetts. This holiday season, there is a “Give One, Get One” program, in which shoppers purchasing a computer to donate to a child will receive a free computer for themselves. Currently, approximately 190,000 computers have been purchased in this fashion.
It is interesting that, given the ways in which this money could potentially be spent providing food, clean water, or other necessities, so many people feel that the money would be better spent on computers. Have computers reached the point in society where they are on a par with food, water and shelter? I feel like the primary reason behind this shift is the rising importance to global connectivity of the internet. It is now considered imperative for people to have internet access in order to be involved global citizens. In addition, the internet is one of the most common forms of media consumption today. In this way, this organization could be said to be indicative of an ideology which states that consumption of media is sometimes considered to be of comparable importance with consumption of food.
Comments (1)
I remember reading about this in a People magazine not long ago, and I think Ginsburg talks about it in her article on "The Digital Age". When I first read about the one laptop per child idea I laughed, indeed, why is technology more important than basic necessities? Some reasoning I read explained that in a modern world, the internet and technology are crucial to "modern thinking". However, in general, are the populations destined to receive these computers living "modern" lives, without running water or waste disposal? The concept of the digital divide suggests that countries without internet technology are "behind" in some way. On the other hand, the move to provide Internet access to people in "backward" areas could be a useful educational or communicational tool, but after basic needs have been met. Listen to Bill Gates on this one.
Posted by la chistosa | December 12, 2007 2:45 PM
Posted on December 12, 2007 14:45