Managing Internet Tech Change Wisely

Context: Recent internet technology revolution is following the path of past technological revolutions by impacting human society both positively and negatively.

Impacts of Technological Revolutions:

• Chemical Technology:
  • Positive Effect: inexpensive synthetic fertilisers and pesticides accrued the following benefits-
    • Increase in the output of grains and vegetables through pesticides.
    • Cheaper and lighter substitutes for cotton, metal and wood by the creation of synthetic plastics.
    • Healthier and disease-free lives through the creation of affordable synthetic pharma drugs.
  • Negative Effect:
    • Environmental pollution: Rachel Carson’s (in her book Silent Spring) advocacy against synthetic pesticides has led to the ban of DDT and the creation of an environmental agency in U.S.
    • Loss of Employment: widespread use of synthetic textile materials like nylon has resulted in the closing of Bombay cotton textile mills (largest employer).
• Information Technology:
  • Positive Effect: greater variety and faster serviced at much lower prices.
  • Negative Effects:
    • Privacy issues: reached a crisis after it was disclosed that U.S. voters’ profiles from a social media network were used to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election,
    • Society shaking changes: Destroying long-established businesses and jobs through the adoption of the following three ‘D’’s:
      • Digitisation: paper-printed newspapers and magazines and celluloid-based cinema are taking digital versions.
      • Disaggregation (with the industry): classified ads in jobs and matrimonial splitting off newspapers to become stand-alone giant-sized online businesses.
      • Dis-intermediation: media entities are reaching consumers/viewers directly, skipping intermediaries (dealers/distributors/cable operators/cinema theatre).

Conclusion: Knowledge gained from past technological revolutions can be used by policymaking to guide the path of the internet revolution in all sectors for the benefit of all mankind.