I've read a lot about how the lockdown is affecting those who actually keep society running, but tend to be paid lower wages with fewer benefits more than others. I sincerely hope we can find a way after this is all over to better balance the rewards for doing all this vital work - the grocery clerks, delivery drivers, garbage collectors, and all the others who we take for granted all the time, the ones who are still out there keeping the important things in society running.
Another indication of disparity I read about today is the uneven quality of rural internet, creating a divide between urban and rural. This is one of my pet peeves as we've lived in a rural area and now a small town for ten years. There are all kinds of ways in which these areas get poorer service than large urban centres.
Now that schools have been closed here for a further month and the province has moved to provide on-line learning, this is especially critical.
Many students in rural areas will find themselves unable to even download photos, let alone participate in on-line discussions or download videos. In a lower income family with no computer the expectation that students staying at home will keep up with their classmates becomes ridiculous.
It is far beyond time that high-speed internet was available to all. The pandemic simply underscores all the unjustified disparities in our society and makes them worse!
Let's do something about it!
Yes indeed! Unlike the grossly overpaid executives, speculators and developers the folks who actually keep modern society running (the plumbers, delivery drivers, stock clerks, cashiers and so many others) are often ignored and looked down upon. The disparity in pay and prestige between high level executives and the folks who actually do the work is unconscionable -- the execs would be nothing without the lowly worker. Down here some school districts provide computers for every student, in others its every child (or family)for themselves. Hopefully this crises will change all that, but that may be too much to expect
ReplyDeleteThis morning on the tV news, there were comments about all the lab workers, testers, who are working long hours to process all the Covid 19 results. Behind the scenes, there are so many more, often not noticed at all. Rural broadband is so necessary, and more so right now. We are in a small town, and have just upgraded, free, from copper to fibre. Studying from home, in the thousands, even here in NZ, puts a larger load on all broadband providers. Ours has given its customers uncapped data until June 30th. So I can look at free concert entertainment, have Tai Chi classes, and use Netflix as much as we would like. Cool down here in the mornings now, 10C, and after a brilliant red sky start to the day, some blue, some cloud, and that welcome cup of coffee.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are so right. There are so many inequities that have been there forever, but now are in the news, showing us how we need to take better care of all our citizens, worldwide.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt if and when this pandemic thing is over there will be changes to our society. Let's just hope those changes will be for the good of all.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the libraries and schools are closed, so students who went there to use the internet no longer have that option.
ReplyDeleteMost people would be in agreement with you. But most people don't want to pay extra taxes either. And therein lies the problem.
ReplyDeleteI think some of the districts in the US are issuing laptops and paying for access...at least in the cities.
ReplyDeleteElon Musk is taking care of all that with his continuous rocket launches down here. He's been accused of junking up the sky with his soon-to-be 41,000 mini statelite network. So it shouldn't be too much longer before everyone everywhere will pay to bring this into their homes, so the whole world will be steered by algorithms to tell them what to think, how to act & how to argue with one another. Even Africa will be able to see what a s**thole the world has become. I would gladly give up the internet to be away from the coming 5G dystopia. I've thought for decades that most schools should be changed to learning centers for all ages to learn whatever. Now I'm glad to see them closed. They don't teach what you need to know to live and they perpetuate the gender disphoria that's all the rage now. The trauma based education they use to "teach" kids teaches them to be obediant workers and to not think for themselves. They teach to test and then use it against them. I pulled my last child out of school for that reason. They finally did away with common core down here. How many kids did they screw up first for their experiment?! Yea! No more school shootings, no more bullies, no more pedophile teachers. Teachers don't have to put up with getting abused & beat-up anymore! Let's keep them closed!
ReplyDeleteYes we are in a real mess. I am trying to be so safe as my wife has a heart condition that wouldn't keep here ahead of the virus. I can't bring anything home to her for sure. k
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky in Powell River that Telus came into town and put down fiber optics. We immediately switched from Shaw that that the worst speed and reliability. It's been good for us. And now we have Xplornet satellite Internet up at the cabin. With that we can pick up wifi calls on our iPhones to replace the terrible cellular connection we get even with a booster. Now the only problem is the cost if Internet is multiple places but it's so hard to live without these days. - Margy
ReplyDeleteMany rural parts of the U.K. are very badly served by internet providers. Never mind trying to access online lessons now we are in lockdown in lots of places people struggle to run their businesses at all. As for why the cities are suddenly offered 5G when so many can’t access 2G I don’t understand that at all. Some years ago my brother, who lived in Scotland, could only make a mobile phone call while up a ladder. I hope things have changed for the better but since those who live in the countryside tend to have less money than those in the cities I wouldn’t bet on it,
ReplyDeleteI quite agree.
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