Today, many people when they commute to work encounter people they wouldn’t otherwise, and so become aware that there is a homeless problem, a crime problem, a whole set of social ills. But if you work out of your home, shop out of your home, learn more out of your home – you might forget they exist. And who’s going to care for the disadvantaged when those who are online forget they exist?
Predictor: Sclove, Richard
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 article for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Marcia Stepanek of Hearst Newspapers interviews scholars about their views of the expected impact of communications networks, quoting futurist Richard Sclove. Stepanek writes: ”Richard Sclove of the Massachusetts-based Loka Institute, which studies the effects of technology on society, says society’s have-nots could become even more invisible than they are today. ‘Today, many people when they commute to work encounter people they wouldn’t otherwise, and so become aware that there is a homeless problem, a crime problem, a whole set of social ills,’ Sclove says. ‘But if you work out of your home, shop out of your home, learn more out of your home – you might forget they exist. And who’s going to care for the disadvantaged when those who are online forget they exist?'”
Biography:Richard Sclove was founder and an advisory board member of The Loka Institute, a nonprofit organization in Amherst, Mass., dedicated to making research, science and technology responsive to social and environmental concerns. He is also the author of the book “Democracy and Technology” (1995). (Futurist/Consultant.)
Date of prediction: March 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Community/Culture
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Title, headline, chapter name: Scholars Try to Measure the Impact
Quote Type: Partial quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=a2da499fc860f603f890270e01d5c693&_docnum=1&wchp=dGLbVtb-lSlAl&_md5=c06b25b68e8d45fca948131279df77d3
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney