Technology And Economic Inequality In The United States

Technology contributes to the growing economic inequality in the United States by increasing its operating expenses. During the 1890s, most American farmers experienced a drought that has affected the quality of their crops. Eventually, the value of these crops lessened, and farmers were not able to break even and earn as much as before. While the drought occurred, railroad companies became ambitious and wanted to earn more for their business. Due to the farmers’ dependency on the railroad to transport their crops, railroad companies “raised the cost of transporting farm produce” (Judis, 22). This increase contributed to the debt and the loss of land that farmers struggled with, which have been expressed in the emergence of the People’s Party. Not only does technology contribute to the economic inequality in the past, but it continues to contribute to the financial frustrations in the modern century. With property prices soaring above its original value, most working-class Americans cannot afford to buy houses (American Workers Struggling). Middle-class members struggle to pay for rent, groceries, appliances, education, and technology; practical necessities that are important to their daily lifestyle. With technology increasing its expenses for services such as wifi, it creates more difficulty for working-class citizens to improve their vertical mobility. By restraining the vertical mobility of the working-class through these expenses, technology contributes to the widening gap of America’s economic inequality.