I found this article to be quite interesting and informative. For a continent that has electricity for only about 1 in every 3 people, the country has a far greater number of people who have mobile phones. Shocking right? Most of the cell phones they have are not smart phones, but rather ones with basic necessities and a long battery life because charging them can be a challenge. They are helpful in the sense that they keep families connected when individuals go off to find jobs. Also, there has been a growing trend in using mobile money (which can be wired from other people straight to their phones), this money can then be redeemed at vendors. It's a great way for individuals to send money home when they are off on a job far away. As of now, only about 15% of people have Internet access, but the Internet is still being used for productive uses. As opposed to the people with Internet getting involved with social media sites, many of the people use the Internet to find jobs, send money to a rural family member and find the best place to sell their products. In this way, technology in Africa is very much centered around the needs to move the country forward.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/30/africa-digital-revolution-mobile-phones
This is a great way to show technological progression, and progression of society. It shows that a society, like this, though starting to understand the basic needs of technology.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, it is an interesting article and they're going through a technological revolution. They're finding mobile phones to be convenient and they're making good use of them at least.
ReplyDeleteYes, I’m convinced that we live in world where the innovation of mobile phones is a very powerful tool in the hands of the people to support them and improve their situations. I really look forward to see how this can spur development and awareness.
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