Is technology the best tool for improving the standard of living and education for low-income families?
Oppenheimer argues that a good deal of the information on the Internet is geared for white and upper-middle-class families and indulgent consumption, whereas the poor’s needs are a little bit more basic — they need food, shelter and good job training. Folks who are trying to make their way into the economic mainstream have a compelling reason for using these devices — training, skill enhancement and career opportunities of the job pools. But you’re not perpetually in that state. A lot of our programs take people from food stamps to 401Ks. When she’s at the 401K end of the spectrum, she’s not looking solely at programs to help her gain more skills so she can gain a better job, she’s now looking at ways to train online, and being able to get the New York Times for free becomes more important. But it’s natural that people would organize their life on priorities, and I think if you are trying to acquire the skills set to earn a living wage for you and your family, then what’s happening o
