Google and Solutions for the Changing Basic Human Needs

This week's reading included two articles that really resonated with me, "Where In The World Are The 1.2 M Raspberry Pi Microcomputers? Mostly in the West- But Pi Founders Want More Spread This Year" (Tech Crunch), and "On Sale For $150: One Laptop Per Child Is Now A Touch Screen Tablet" (Fast Company). The reason that they resonated with me was because it shows that basic human needs might be changing as the world is changing. Access to technology is becoming a need, even though, "In some parts of the developing world, kids have far less use for laptops than clean drinking water, working toilets, and a good deworming," according to the Fast Company Article. It seems as though there needs to be some justification for providing children with access to technology and a discussion I had with my group mate Shawneil launched us into the topic of innovators being demonized for providing technology to students and charging for that technology. As the world changes, so do the needs of the humans living in the world, and for me this was most evident at the Thrival Innovation and Music Festival held in Pittsburgh last weekend. During the festival, I was engaged in conversation with a Google staff person and was told that Google will be hosting an event, "Black Girls Code," the weekend following Thrival and that it was a response to the  lack of technological skills that are shown in the black community. I know that America isn't a developing country, but certain regions in America  lack access to technology just as much as children in developing country (however, there might be access to classroom computers). The discussion with the Google employee bemused me because it was evident that equality for all people means access to the things that are considered a necessity: food, water, shelter, safety, education, and now, access to technology. The needs of people in developed countries and areas should be considered the needs of people in developing countries and areas. I believe that access to technology through One Laptop Per Child, for example,increases the opportunity for everyone to be a leader and contribute to social innovation. Technology should now be considered a need and the list of needs will likely continue to expand and diversify as time and human achievement propel.

By the way, a great resource in America to help improve technology to American children is scripted.org (which I might blog about separately at a later date).