Is – a sign of poverty, offline elitism. This idea is expressed in one of the American Newspapers, it has been replicated in social networks.
Lyudmila Presnyakov: the Author replaces the concept: we are not talking about digital services as such, but about the juxtaposition of luxury services and mass. Wealthy people have always had the opportunity to invite their children Tutors, Tutors, Tutors, instead of teaching in a secondary school. This is the key difference between rich and poor: the rich can afford the elite services and products and the poor not. And in the digital world the difference between rich and poor will be played. In today’s world access to digital services is a symptom of the so-called middle class. While in Russia the poor are largely excluded from opportunities to benefit the digital economy. According to a survey recently made FOM, the country 31% of the population had never used a smartphone and 21% for computers. To excluded from digitization are especially rural residents, over the age of 60 years. And as of December 2019, smartphones are 49 percent of Russians. Very noticeable digital divide and across regions. Thus, the index of digitization and quality of life in the region are correlated: there are regions with the lowest rankings for quality of life, for example, Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Tyva, Ingushetia, Jewish Autonomous oblast, and these same regions are at the bottom on the index of digitalization.
But among the rich in the West there is a trend of rejection of smartphones. And our poor youth is ready the shirt to remove themselves to credit to buy them…
Lyudmila Presnyakov: Poor people are buying iPhones on credit for big money to touch the world of the rich. But public services and pineham are the most advanced users. Those who not only have money to buy a smartphone, but also have the time, resources, and youthfulness in the end to master these gadgets.
And here’s another argument in favor of “impoverished” digitization: there is a huge virtual market of sexual services, where working immigrants from Southeast Asia and other poor countries. They offer themselves to the poor of the first world, are willing to spend on the satisfaction of their needs not more than $ 10…
Lyudmila Presnyakov: the Digital economy is a huge savings in costs, ranging from costs of doing business, producing any goods or services, and the continuing cost saving of cost and especially time consumers. But to poverty or wealth is irrelevant. In fact, rich “the idle class” (in Veblen’s terminology) differs from the more poor, including the fact that he has more freedom.- stand time. And the digitalization of everyday life is the path of the “middle class” up to “idle”. When you don’t take time to stand in line to receive documents, the exchange of passports, a trip to the store, cooking – you can to use this time for self-education, communicating with family members or friends.
Here imagine: the man is absolutely alone. And that he’s dying, he is reported by the computer program. He is a rich man or a poor man?
Lyudmila Presnyakov: the First beneficiaries of new digital medical technologies will be the most affluent segments of the population throughout the world, including in our country. The device, which inform the person when he dies and what, the first will be a billionaire. And the first gadget that will analyze your lifestyle, blood work, stress levels, etc., will be very expensive and therefore not widespread. But even when the world is completely reprovisioned all learn to use smartphones as forks and spoons, inequality is not going anywhere. The richest will have their elite robots.
Recently in the Internet appeared the message that soon in the official documents will use the term “commoner”. Joke believed by many. News about social segregation is no surprise?
Lyudmila Presnyakov: This story has attracted such attention, maybe because recently, many saw the movie “Slave”. But any joke reflects the mood in society. People feel good and inequality, and its growth. And the digitalization of which we speak, that helps. Wealth is now in sight: in media and in social networks. On the one hand, in network world, you almost hand can reach the wealth, and with another – while sitting on an old sofa in the kitchen. Inequality in the digital space seems to significantly.
will our the poor and the rich after quarantine?
Lyudmila Presnyakov: the Problem is that from this crisis the poor will be poorer and the rich is not particularly affected. Of course they can in the ranking of millionaires fall from 128 to 246 place. But it doesn’t go from your class to another. The middle class will also retain their positions. Studies show that it is changing the position of the poor. The faster they lose their jobs and income, they have no reserves to compensate for the loss. And this means that social stratification will increase.
But the Russians during the quarantine actively donated to charity…
Lyudmila Presnyakov: Yes, however, according to FOM, only 17% of the population donating money to charities, and this share declined slightly against the background of the pandemic. In the current situation only 7% helped strangers, while the rest (they also do nota lot of, a third of Russians) helped the family and friends.
What will become of the so-called consumer society?
Lyudmila Presnyakov: According to analysts of the savings Bank (project “Carindex”), in April there was a noticeable surge in purchases on large Internet sites, that is, active consumption on the Internet. Some elements of the “uromania” consumption, rejection of unnecessary things occur, but it won’t be long, just as there is a situation of uncertainty. As soon as the prospect of people lined up, consumption will return to its previous level. Of course, those categories of individuals whose incomes are affected not dramatic. Here is an example – we did a study on the use of various financial services in the villages, and there, as you know, and banks, and shops not so much. It turned out that the inability to buy offline at the place of residence of our people compensate for a introduction to the global trade network. Respondent – an elderly man gets a pension on the card. Ask where he pays with a plastic card. Expect to hear – in the savings Bank for housing. And he says – I buy things on AliExpress!
