Nine* reasons why you should care about tech policy
Nine is my lucky number plus I couldn’t think of a tenth to round it up — maybe you’ve got it?
It dawned on me over Christmas that I never had a job that was easily explainable to people outside my immediate industry. It’s the ubiquitous millennial issue and, I guess, an argument for the trinary lawyer/doctor/teacher aspiration that still dominates culture norms around parts of the world. So much easier for everyone to get it, from nephews/nieces up to great-grandparents.
I have always had to put my job or title into context, describe my typical day in painful detail or plug the official spiel followed by a careful dissection of the terms that almost always ends up taking over the dinner table conversation. It was tough explaining ‘working in social’ in 2012 but little did I know it would not end there for me.
Most of my friends work in and around tech, in the broad sense of the term: programming, platforms, hardware, digital communications, start-ups etc. And yet, whilst they understand, engage with and indulge my enthusiasm for tech policy, I can’t help but notice how it is widely regarded as a somewhat far-removed discipline, not entirely accessible nor worth diving into too much detail over voice clips— you know, it’s one of those things experts deal with. It puzzles me because, from where I stand, everything that my colleagues research, analyse and write about at the Tony Blair Institute has a direct and pressing impact on both their industry and their life: from big tech, platform regulation and innovation policy through to digital public services and more.
It all starts with explaining the actual concept of tech policy, of which I seem to be changing my own definition —highly mood dependent. On a good day, I pay tribute to my marketing & comms background and I try to adapt to the audience. Before I list my reasons why we should all know of and care about tech policy (to varying degrees), let’s clarify what I mean by tech policy:
*Prances to Google for validation.
Oh, turns out the internet feels my pain: “There are several approaches to defining the substance and scope of technology policy.”
I’ll still give it a go.
Technology policy is an area of policy making that looks at how technology and innovation can and should be used for improving citizens’ livelihoods and contribute to a modern, prosperous society. It spans a really wide spectrum of sectors, hence the complexity of the topic — but if it were a question: how can political leaders use technology for creating a better society?
Enter the purpose of my piece today.
- It’s about you, too
Whether you’re an active or passive citizen, all government decisions regarding tech affect you in some shape or form. From cookie policies and your online shopping/browsing experience, to submitting your taxes, applying for a mortgage, managing health — you name it. And the best part? It goes both ways; your perceptions, beliefs and use of tech can (or at least, should) influence governments decision-making in relation to technology for public services and more.
2. Gives a sense of purpose
We all complain about broken services, politics, promises and hopes. Our parents did it too, and so did their parents — and it goes all the way back. If you’d rather spare the next generation from voicing roughly the same problems and learn how tech can help, there are things you can do immediately: read up opinion, proactively educate yourself and the person next to you on the topic at hand, follow and reach out to people on both sides of the spectrum. A modern, progressive society is one that guides us to think collectively with the big picture in mind, versus individually for short-term gain.
3. It’s likely you’ll live to see the change
If there’s one thing we can all agree on is that things move incredibly fast in the technological era. From one millennial to another: when you were playing Snake on your Nokia 3310 in 2003, would you have envisaged spending an average of 5h 38m on your smartphone each day in 2020? Time that spans learning a new language or a new trade via YouTube DIY, managing every aspect your personal and professional life, keeping in touch with friends around the world 24/7, personalising your news feed and notifications? Just imagine what we’ll see over the next couple of decades, and how much of what is not working as it should right now, could be infinitely better.
4. Makes for great debates
Some of my most memorable encounters to date have been with people who inspire others as they speak about their worldview, hobbies, passion, interests. Pathos and deep beliefs get our internal fire going, and what better way to spread energy and hope. There are many a topic for great debates out there, but it doesn’t get much more current and real than talking tech in the context of everything going well and not so well in the world right now.
5. Helps form or enrich your worldview
You don’t need to love or fully embrace tech in order to weigh in on the tech debate, be informed and form a worldview. This is ever so important personally, not just professionally, as we seek to grow and engage with each other more intellectually.
Besides, your worldview is a lot more than just a topic for discussion — it ultimately informs and guides your own life choices, from profession and hobbies to choosing where and how to live.
6. Civic engagement FTW
International beauty pageants may have ruined the concept of making the world a better place, person by person. It’s not easy to prove and not a universal promise either— but it’s one certain path to progress.
We may fail to see our role as stakeholders in the society that we live in. The more we ask, learn and participate, the bigger the hope to address issues in our community. And as part of that, it is important to recognise tech plays a role both to enable the engagement, and to address the issue at the core.
Take the example of the infamous terms and conditions we accept in order to use digital products and services; whether we read them or not, we sign contracts with the platforms that we use every day. And with every contract, responsibility goes both ways. Own your rights and know when to stand up for an issue that affects you or your community.
7. Take pride in your *general* knowledge
How does one define general knowledge these days? Surely at the time of writing, one cannot assume a truly general knowledge without having a basic understanding of how the tech surrounding us works. Yes, we learn most of it by doing but before blaming algorithms for everything that goes wrong, do we know what they are and how they work?
8. Keeping ahead of the trends
Beyond the intellectual benefit of having tech policy awareness, there are a myriad of opportunities to capitalise on your knowledge of where tech is heading and where the next big idea lies. Perhaps investing is your thing — tech policy is about keeping an eye on the future and is often driven by the intention to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. Keep an open mind and who knows, you may be the next unicorn!
9. By the way — if you vote, you’re already expressing a view on tech policy.
Left, right and centre (literally), politicians scramble to translate the latest technology advancements into actionable policies for the environment, health, education and the economy. Some more, and better than others, but the likelihood of you having already cast an official view/support of any such policy regarding tech is very high. Next time you’re in front of a ballot paper, ask yourself: does your chosen party or politician employ technology in ways that enhances your life and that of your community?
Convinced, or not yet? Either way, would love to hear any challenges, reinforcements, or additions.
