Technology and Social Innovation

This week’s reading materials highlight the role of technology in social innovation and the way major companies are shifting their focus on producing goods that are in demand by the low income group. They expect to increase their revenue by targeting the large numbers of middle class and the lower income class instead of selling goods to only the few rich. This trend is gradually revolutionizing the developing countries. As Megha  Bahree highlights in the article “GE Remodels Businesses in India” how GE has produced low cost MRI Scanners and Baby  warmers, they not only increased their revenues but their social innovation helped the lower income segments of the society.  Similarly, in the article in the Economist, it was highlighted that how mobile phones are being used to send information to farmers and also it is being used to transfer funds.

This new trend is indeed a leap forward in social innovation. Many countries are developing this new trend of using mobile services to impart education to the public or providing them with basic services like information about health care and sanitation. A recent experiment is being carried out in Pakistan’s Punjab province in which to eliminate corruption, the mobile phone is being used to get feedback from the people visiting public offices and whether any illegal fee was demanded by any govt official. All the people requiring any public service are directed to leave their cell numbers. Later on random people are called on their cell numbers and asked if they faced any problem. Incase of any complaint against a government official , strict action is taken against him.

Similarly, last year there was a major outbreak of Dengue Fever in Pakistan. The government again used mobile sms services to create awareness among the people about dengue fever and also educated them about preventive measures.

It seems that in future all the governments of the developing world will be relying on the use of technology to conduct various activities. Other than mobile, the use of internet is also on the rise. However, the facility of internet is not available to a majority of the people of the developing world, but a time will come when most of the areas will have an access to internet. Internet and social media can be used in many ways to impart education or gather data about the population. It  can also be used to unite likeminded people. In the Arab Spring in countries like Libya and Tunisia, the social media was used to unite the people and rise against the tyrants. But the most important factor to keep in mind is that will the use of technology only have positive effects or it can also have a negative role? Like the opposition parties in a country might try to use this technology to defame the party in power and vice versa.