Technology and the Middle Class

Many people always say that technology is one of the things that is going to help the people that are suffering from poverty and disease in third world countries. It can also make life better for many other people as far as communication services and social networks go. The problem is that not too many people want to see the issues that may come with the advanced technology. Take the job situation for example. The US still has two million fewer jobs than before the downturn, the unemployment rate is stuck at levels not seen since the early 1990s and the proportion of adults who are working is four percentage points off its peak in 2000. This job drought has spurred pundits to wonder whether a profound employment sickness has overtaken us. And from there, it’s only a short leap to ask whether that illness isn’t productivity itself. Have we mechanized and computerized ourselves into obsolescence? These questions are nothing new as we have seen during the industrial revolution. The debate is still very much relevant though. What are your thoughts?