Using Technology To Combat Intergenerational Poverty

The increasing use of technology in our society means that we'll soon have a host of new potential solutions for some of our most persistent social problems. But we also must face the reality that technology might actually exacerbate some of these issues as well.

By taking a proactive, clear-eyed stance about both the benefits and potential drawbacks of increased access to new technological systems -- including automation and artificial intelligence (AI) -- we can begin to imagine a world in which humans ground all future digital advancements in a solid foundation of shared ethics and values. If we succeed at doing so, we may hold the keys to unlocking one of the most challenging social issues: intergenerational poverty. But if we are not careful, the very innovations we're currently working on can actually doom our most vulnerable community members to an even steeper climb out of the cycle of poverty.

The Cycle Of Poverty (And How Technology May Accelerate Intergenerational Poverty)

When we talk about intergenerational poverty, we're talking about a cycle that limits access to opportunity and social mobility. When families experience poverty and lack the tangible financial resources to change their situation, they may often have difficulty sharing skills or tools with their children for exiting the cycle. The stress of meeting basic needs takes all precedent in the family, and children learn that the only way to survive is to focus on getting basic needs met. Often times, people trapped in this cycle are forced to use all of their time, energy and resources on dealing with the significant challenges of meeting their immediate needs, never getting the opportunity to connect to longer-term resources.

As reported in The Atlantic, Dr. Elizabeth Babcock, the president and CEO of Economic Mobility Pathways (EmPath), explained that intergenerational poverty creates, "vicious cycles where stress leads to bad decision-making, compounding other problems and reinforcing the idea that they can’t improve their own lives." So, can technological tools help people break this cycle and live better lives? Perhaps, but it's important to note that technological advancements may actually reinforce these painful cycles.

The fears around automation are myriad: Workers are afraid of losing their jobs, and, as a recent article in The Verge made clear, the rise in automation may actually stymie workers who rely on entry-level jobs to boost their social mobility. The article reveals that studies suggest that the retraining made necessary by automation will be challenging for the working poor, while "individuals from wealthier backgrounds [will be] more able to do so." However, those "with working class or poorer backgrounds [will be] far less likely to retrain after university."

But Does Technology Also Hold The Key To Reversing The Cycle Of Poverty?

Despite the real concerns about automation and AI actually widening the equity gap, there is hope on the horizon as well. Read the rest of my article featured in Forbes Community Voice?>> here! <<