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I think this is an area where you have to be careful of people-like-me bias. (Apologies :) Most people in the world didn’t have most of those things, but they n

I think this is an area where you have to be careful of people-like-me bias. (Apologies :) Most people in the world didn’t have most of those things, but they now largely all have cellphones. Any child with access to the internet can access any piece of information on all of the items you mentioned. And now/soon any of those kids can speak with an electronic friend who can explain it to them in their own language. In short, a huge percentage of the world didn’t benefit and didn’t participate or compete or come up with ideas. I think it’s safe to say that generates more change, faster, for all of us.

tuatoru 4y ago
Cellphones are nice to have, certainly, but compared to safe piped water and electric light, they are a minor addition to quality of life. Ask anyone who has done without the latter two for extended periods of time.
- richardw 4y ago
  The point is that the cellphone is a multiplier with which every person can improve their lives. That was true before the internet (see fishermen in Africa using phones to communicate about the best current fishing spots) and even more so now. If you put me on a desert island with an internet-connected phone that I could recharge once a day, I'd have a far better chance of surviving [1] than if you gave me a flushing toilet or a power point in my house. Obviously there are comparisons that will fail this, but this is to underscore the spectacular catalytic influence that everyone (roughly) has in their pocket. Our child's carer has a mom living in Zimbabwe, who has no power and running water. She used her cellphone to contact her child when she was sick, to get money, get a lift to a bigger hospital. She made her own choice on what she would buy and in this extreme case it was the smart move. [1] Help I'm on a desert island, here is my location. How do I gather water. Is this plant edible. Is that animal dangerous. How can I build a shelter.
ska 4y ago
I think you are vastly underestimating the changes that some of those technologies i mention had on the lives of nearly everyone in the planet. For good and for ill. Probably because they were “normal” when you became aware. Sure, lots of people didn’t have electrified houses, or cars, but very few weren’t deeply affected their rise. That doesn’t even get to into the radical economic shifts from agricultural methods and globalism (built on such technologies), or the political shifts that radio and then television brought, most places. You are correct I should have been more careful in how I stated it, it to sounds like everyone suddenly got a personal automobile and am electrified home. Fair enough, hit the point stands.

tuatoru 4y ago

Cellphones are nice to have, certainly, but compared to safe piped water and electric light, they are a minor addition to quality of life. Ask anyone who has done without the latter two for extended periods of time.

richardw 4y ago
The point is that the cellphone is a multiplier with which every person can improve their lives. That was true before the internet (see fishermen in Africa using phones to communicate about the best current fishing spots) and even more so now. If you put me on a desert island with an internet-connected phone that I could recharge once a day, I'd have a far better chance of surviving [1] than if you gave me a flushing toilet or a power point in my house. Obviously there are comparisons that will fail this, but this is to underscore the spectacular catalytic influence that everyone (roughly) has in their pocket. Our child's carer has a mom living in Zimbabwe, who has no power and running water. She used her cellphone to contact her child when she was sick, to get money, get a lift to a bigger hospital. She made her own choice on what she would buy and in this extreme case it was the smart move. [1] Help I'm on a desert island, here is my location. How do I gather water. Is this plant edible. Is that animal dangerous. How can I build a shelter.

ska 4y ago

I think you are vastly underestimating the changes that some of those technologies i mention had on the lives of nearly everyone in the planet. For good and for ill. Probably because they were “normal” when you became aware. Sure, lots of people didn’t have electrified houses, or cars, but very few weren’t deeply affected their rise. That doesn’t even get to into the radical economic shifts from agricultural methods and globalism (built on such technologies), or the political shifts that radio and then television brought, most places. You are correct I should have been more careful in how I stated it, it to sounds like everyone suddenly got a personal automobile and am electrified home. Fair enough, hit the point stands.