Industry Issues – Production and Health

The Environment Three million computers are sold in Australia each year (Environment Victoria) More than 730 000 are dumped in landfill (Environment Victoria) The average Mobile handset has only a two-year lifespan ‘Planned obsolescence’ - Brooks Stevens Desire to upgrade devices when there is nothing wrong with the old ones. If 10 per cent of mobile users unplugged their phone chargers after their phone is charged enough power would be saved to run 60 000 houses for a year (Nokia) Recycling services

Outsourcing and Automation Cheap labour and developments in technology has seen more and more businesses outsourcing labour. Outsourcing – what is it and what implications does it have? The rise of technology has led to more automated services replacing work traditionally done by humans. Automated services – what are they and what implications do they have?

Cost of Production Have you ever wondered how the devices you own are made, or why they have become so affordable that we can dispose of them after just a couple of years? Potential forced labour, unpaid overtime and child labour Apple was compelled to prove that their factories did not use child labour or force people to work long hours. Despite the denials issued by the company, it became evident that work and remuneration conditions, while good for China where many Apple products are made, do not translate well in a western context. Facing minimum 60-hour weeks with additional overtime, workers as young as 16 put in 12- to 15-hour days, standing without breaks, with only one day off a week. The workers are housed at night in giant open dormitories that hold up to 700 people in one room. And all this for as little as $67 a month.

Health Health concerns related to mobile technology: increased exposure to radiation (memory loss, infertility, leukaemia and eye cancer) hand and wrist injuries (tendinopathy) electronic magnetic fields emanating from mobile phones and towers, wireless data networks, microwave links and electrical appliances. skin irritation, fatigue, digestive problems, dizziness, sleep problems, attention difficulties, headaches and memory loss through extended use of mobile technology. Scientists believe this is caused by electromagnetic hypersensitivity syndrome.

Activities Has the way we consume information and news, and the ‘always on’ nature of communication channels, created a generation with problems concentrating and thinking clearly for long periods of time? Explain your answer with examples from your experience. How many automated systems do you deal with in a single day (choose a day when you conduct a number of activities, such as going into the city to watch a movie or meet friends)? Do you expect an increase in the number of machines and automated systems you deal with daily? What sorts of jobs do you think are likely to be displaced?