bzs@bu-cs.bu.EDU (Barry Shein) (12/14/87)
From: carlos@jplpro.JPL.NASA.GOV (Carlos Carrion) Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc Subject: Knowledge Gap Date: 7 Dec 87 23:42:46 GMT Reply-To: carlos@jplpro.JPL.NASA.GOV (Carlos Carrion) Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA. We all are familiar with the concept of a Generation Gap, or a Wealth Gap. But I think that a more ominous concept creeping up on society is the idea of a Knowledge Gap of which one could say the Technology Gap is but a subset. In these days it is not unusual to find people who can't read, who are afraid of technology (even afraid of information), who mistrust technocrats, and who resist change. Precursors to ill-fated movements are fear and mistrust and that is exactly what we have. I find myself thinking more and more that there are two kinds of people emerging from the masses: those who understand technology and those who don't. To put it more exactly: those who understand computers and those who don't. These two groups are separating and one of them is growing in numbers, unfortunately it is the one that is more dangerous. I have these "visions" of mobs of people tearing down all that is technological and progressive. All because of fear. Maybe these visions are unfounded, but it seems to me that our society, whether by choice or ac- cident, is producing such pressures to conform, such pressures to please and entertain the lowest common denominator, that we have in our hands a Knowledge Gap among our society which is becoming, in my opinion, dangerous. What is the solution? I don't know if the momentum can be stopped. We all are so involved in immediate gratification, in the so-called "throw- away" lifestyle ingrained into our minds, in making money, that sometimes it becomes hard to step back and look around. Part of the fault lies with us. Since we are "keepers" of the technology, we have a responsibility to disseminate our knowledge. We have to TRY to stop thinking of ourselves alone and think of the future. Not the technological future, but the sociological future. Society's pressures are so great that our children don't stand a chance. WE do. I didn't mean to sound depressing and without hope. I do believe there is a solution. Our generation is the most educated generation in the world, but the price we will have to pay might be unpayable. ========================================================================= Carlos Carrion, MS 301-250D, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA 91109 .. cit-vax!elroy!jpl-devvax!jplpro!carlos =========================================================================