Facebook has unveiled online “workrooms” for users of its Oculus virtual reality gear
Washington:
Virtual reality meetings, $7,000 all-in-one kits and digital hot desking: Big Tech is rolling out premium tools as the work-from-home era prepares to move well beyond the pandemic.
But experts warn that while privileged Americans may benefit from top-of-the-line facilities, millions of others may have barely access to remote work tools already available.
Facebook has unveiled online “workrooms” for users of its Oculus virtual reality gear, and Google showed off interactive conferencing displays, announcing a “hybrid” mix of in-person and remote work.
Yet even outside of Silicon Valley and other urban centers, basics like fast Internet connections and remote technology proficiency remain out of reach for millions of people in the United States.
“For many people, being able to work from home is still a luxury,” said Michelle Burris, a senior policy associate at progressive think tank The Century Foundation.
One reason is access to high-speed connections, advocacy group Broadband Now said in a May report that 42 million Americans — about 13 percent of the population — can’t get broadband Internet.
Another problem is equipment because many workers have to buy their own.
Take the example of Patricia McGee in Texas — a 39-year-old mother of four who switched from an Amazon warehouse job to remote customer service work for another company when the pandemic lockdown struck nearly 18 months ago.
He had to shell out $2,000 to get the computer, not to mention the cost of the Internet and the process of installing software and updates.
“Not everyone can buy a computer. So it’s taking jobs from people who (can’t buy one) or don’t really have the skills (to use one),” he told AFP.
His machine broke down a few days ago and because he had run out of his paid time off, McGee couldn’t work or make money until his computer was back online.
risk of missing out
The digital divisions exposed by the pandemic are well documented with striking examples such as families using wireless Internet at fast food restaurants so that their children can attend school online.
As schools and workplaces, in many areas, have gradually moved back to individual activity, some inequalities have been reduced.
But a percentage of workers appreciate the flexibility and usefulness of a “hybrid” mix where they can sometimes work from home.
Georgetown University professor Monica Sanders said, “It’s one of these innocuous things that look like convenience, but it could be – until we actually address it and acknowledge it.” – Another tool for increasing inequality.”
Sanders notes that this differs from other technological developments, such as having the latest smartphones or even video cassette players when machines revolutionized home entertainment.
“Your earning power or where you live or how you work,” he said.
Changes in the way people work have gone unnoticed for employers, with digital skills for Zoom presentations or remote management tools working their way into job ads.
Author and remote work expert Rhiannon Payne said virtual reality will become as common as how people do their jobs as cell phones and laptops.
She agreed that the risks of excluding people cannot be ignored, but also that high-tech devices can make lives better.
“Companies are trying to find ways to make remote working really easy and help us grow the relationship with our partners,” she told AFP.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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