An Irony Behind Digital Society

“It is a major paradox of the digital era that some of the world’s richest, most innovative companies are able to market incredibly sophisticated devices without being required to show where they source raw materials for their components.”

-Emmanuel Umpula, Afrewatch Executive Director-

Welcome to May 17th, the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day! Every day, the world is witnessing continuous technological advancement and deeper integration of global society in cyber space. Gadgets are produced massively, new types and brands are bombing the market. The number of internet users is growing, reached 3.3 billion lives in 2015 – nearly half of earth population.[1] Social media users and digital product subscribers are also showing a perpetual increase. Accessed daily and becoming a significant part in most of human life’s aspects, internet seems to be the next primary need of 21st century human beings.

 We may hail this, yet, we must know that this advancement doesn’t only produce progress for mankind, but also an irony. A big one.

Undoubtedly, physical and digital technology development helps mankind like nothing ever before. From taxi reservation to stock market trade, everything is available on our fingertips. It brings changes to society, as well. A study suggests that internet does not isolate people, nor does it reduce their sociability; it actually increases sociability. It is just a sociability where individualization (a shift in which the base of social relationships are no longer cultural or personal ties, but individual interests, values, and projects) takes place. Another study also found that there is a positive correlation between the frequency and intensity of internet usage and personal happiness of this digitalized society.[2] At this point, we may conclude that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) support many lives.

But whose lives?

Gadgets including laptops, smartphones, tablets, PC, or any device you use to read this article, may contain mining materials extracted from a land we do not know by people whose fate we never care. It is cobalt, a key metal component in the lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that power electronic devices. Cobalt mining involves both adults and children who risk their lives for minimum payment of US$1-$2 per day, going 60 meters underground without proper equipment, working in 12-hour shifts (including weekends) under extreme weather, and not to mention threatening war/conflict situation. Forget school for children because it is not free and money is not taken for granted. Despite its enormous contribution to companies’ profit, only small number of multinational companies using this material made efforts to trace the source of metals used in their devices and take only ‘conflict free’ metals, while the rest choose to ignore.[3]This phenomenon implies that our ICT achievement – and happiness in taking advantage of it – stand on an injustice practice where exploitation prevails. ICT indeed boosts revenue and simplify the lives of many, but it hides ironic reality behind the curtains. To create a just supply chain in technology industry is probably our biggest homework, not only as a digital society, but also as a civilized global citizens.

[1] Internet World Stats, Internet Usage Statistics, November 2015, , accessed 15 May 2016.

[2] M. Castells, ‘The Impact of the Internet on Society: A Global Perspective,’ Open Mind (online), , accessed 15 May 2016.

[3] CNN, Tech companies make progress on ‘blood phones’ and ‘conflict minerals,’ 12 Agustus 2012, , diakses 15 May 2016.