There are Many Problems with Technology, But The Backlash Against Technology Is Misguided
Inequality
Over the holidays, I rediscovered podcasts and, along with millions of podcast listeners, enjoyed multiple well-produced shows. It struck me that the reach of certain shows is amplified. Good content gets more attention while poorer material is relegated, creating a superstar phenomenon: a sizeable majority of the listeners consume, based on recommendations and rankings, a few select shows.
Is this a problem?
The inherent inequality is staggering. A small elite group of winners in these digital industries is vastly better rewarded than everyone else. Be it Twitch or OnlyFans, mega superstars dominate, while others barely break even.
Where other businesses move online and where both scale and outreach become amplified via technology, one would expect such unequal outcomes to apply to other industries.
One suspects that the Internet itself creates the conditions for these unequal outcomes as most of the users are consumers with fairly standardized tastes.
The closest analogy to such unequal outcomes in income and wealth are those found in the Middle East and North Africa.
