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This reminds me of one laptop per child and this is similarly misguided. Poor people don’t want this and can’t make much use of it. What poor people want is cl

This reminds me of one laptop per child and this is similarly misguided. Poor people don’t want this and can’t make much use of it. What poor people want is clean water, a stable source of food, security, health care, honest government, etc, etc. They’ll be happy to have a cell phone, but it’s not going to change their life. The problem of poverty isn’t the result of lack of access to information.

systemtest 9y ago
Having access to information is vital if you want to do modern farming and need to know about the weather, droughts and seasonal patterns. And you need to know market prices for your products and be able to contact fair-trade organisations. Also if you have to walk 20 kilometers for the nearest doctor, you want to make sure that the doctor is in today. Same with water, supplies and food.
criddell 9y ago
I thought the one laptop per child program was for people that have clean water, access to food, etc... It wasn't targeted towards to poorest people, was it?
chki 9y ago
> They'll be happy to have a cell phone, but it's not going to change their life. I would like to disagree on that. Obviously a phone is less important than food and water but when it comes to everything else it is quite a basic component of modern life in all countries/social settings. A phone is essential to communication, gathering information and education. It is also not prohibitively expensive for the value that it brings.
- hueving 9y ago
  It's interesting because I grew up without a phone and did very well. I think you're view is just warped by your own social circles.
  - noxToken 9y ago
    I'm not asking you to reveal your age, but this sounds like an age related thing. In the US, most people grew up without phones. People can still do fine without a phone. However the access to information and ability to be contacted will make life much, much easier. A working phone number is an invaluable thing to have when looking for work.
    - ameister14 9y ago
      Most people did not grow up without phones. I know it's a bit pedantic, but people grew up without SMART phones. Most people on this website and I'd say most people successful under 35 grew up with access to the internet, though.
      - noxToken 9y ago
        I don't think it's pedantic to point it out. It is what I meant, but I think it is a very important distinction. I thought GP meant smart phone, but they could have meant a landline as well.
  - ameister14 9y ago
    It's pretty unusual to grow up without access to a telephone. I don't think that the fact that you did it is proof that the communication revolution enabling instantaneous communication over distance didn't change the world or that not having that ability doesn't negatively impact someone's ability to make money or have a fulfilling social life.
  - Can_Not 9y ago
    I'm guessing you also grew up with a TV with local news, libraries, 12 years of schooling, plenty of drinkable water, grocery stores you could walk to that were plentiful and affordable, farmers who've been using modern farming techniques for decades and felt just as safe as you, had dialup, electricity in your home, no civil wars, no warlords, no constant raids by gangs. When cell phones first came into my life, you could pay $50/month for the cheapest privilege to make phone calls (that I wasn't going to use). The most useful things about them was you could pay $20/month extra for unlimited texting. But a cellphone to many of them is their first affordable full-time internet access. They could use this to give their children half the childhood you were privileged with.
codingdave 9y ago
The successful people I've talked to who came from poverty would disagree. They all have stories of some specific program that gave them some additional tools to help educate them, inspire them, and give them the ability and drive to lift themselves out of their original situation. Now, these individuals almost universally are putting at least some of their energy back into similar programs to help others. So no, giving out laptops won't magically eliminate poverty... but it might create the person who devises the solution that does.
- Helmet 9y ago
  I know this is all anecdotal so my input is ultimately useless and not applicable to society at large, but I grew up poor and am now "successful" (by conventional standards). There was no specific program that inspired me or gave me a leg up - what worked was the fact that my parents were strict and absolute hard-asses who didn't put up with any of my bullshit growing up. I resented them for a long time, but have come to see that they were mostly right. But hey, you may very well be correct in that a social program works for others.

systemtest 9y ago

Having access to information is vital if you want to do modern farming and need to know about the weather, droughts and seasonal patterns. And you need to know market prices for your products and be able to contact fair-trade organisations. Also if you have to walk 20 kilometers for the nearest doctor, you want to make sure that the doctor is in today. Same with water, supplies and food.

criddell 9y ago

I thought the one laptop per child program was for people that have clean water, access to food, etc... It wasn't targeted towards to poorest people, was it?

chki 9y ago

> They'll be happy to have a cell phone, but it's not going to change their life. I would like to disagree on that. Obviously a phone is less important than food and water but when it comes to everything else it is quite a basic component of modern life in all countries/social settings. A phone is essential to communication, gathering information and education. It is also not prohibitively expensive for the value that it brings.

hueving 9y ago
It's interesting because I grew up without a phone and did very well. I think you're view is just warped by your own social circles.
- noxToken 9y ago
  I'm not asking you to reveal your age, but this sounds like an age related thing. In the US, most people grew up without phones. People can still do fine without a phone. However the access to information and ability to be contacted will make life much, much easier. A working phone number is an invaluable thing to have when looking for work.
  - ameister14 9y ago
    Most people did not grow up without phones. I know it's a bit pedantic, but people grew up without SMART phones. Most people on this website and I'd say most people successful under 35 grew up with access to the internet, though.
    - noxToken 9y ago
      I don't think it's pedantic to point it out. It is what I meant, but I think it is a very important distinction. I thought GP meant smart phone, but they could have meant a landline as well.
- ameister14 9y ago
  It's pretty unusual to grow up without access to a telephone. I don't think that the fact that you did it is proof that the communication revolution enabling instantaneous communication over distance didn't change the world or that not having that ability doesn't negatively impact someone's ability to make money or have a fulfilling social life.
- Can_Not 9y ago
  I'm guessing you also grew up with a TV with local news, libraries, 12 years of schooling, plenty of drinkable water, grocery stores you could walk to that were plentiful and affordable, farmers who've been using modern farming techniques for decades and felt just as safe as you, had dialup, electricity in your home, no civil wars, no warlords, no constant raids by gangs. When cell phones first came into my life, you could pay $50/month for the cheapest privilege to make phone calls (that I wasn't going to use). The most useful things about them was you could pay $20/month extra for unlimited texting. But a cellphone to many of them is their first affordable full-time internet access. They could use this to give their children half the childhood you were privileged with.

codingdave 9y ago

The successful people I've talked to who came from poverty would disagree. They all have stories of some specific program that gave them some additional tools to help educate them, inspire them, and give them the ability and drive to lift themselves out of their original situation. Now, these individuals almost universally are putting at least some of their energy back into similar programs to help others. So no, giving out laptops won't magically eliminate poverty... but it might create the person who devises the solution that does.

Helmet 9y ago
I know this is all anecdotal so my input is ultimately useless and not applicable to society at large, but I grew up poor and am now "successful" (by conventional standards). There was no specific program that inspired me or gave me a leg up - what worked was the fact that my parents were strict and absolute hard-asses who didn't put up with any of my bullshit growing up. I resented them for a long time, but have come to see that they were mostly right. But hey, you may very well be correct in that a social program works for others.