Our Toxic Relationship With Big Tech is Getting Worse

Public trust in tech companies is not doing well. According to research released this week, the relationship between tech and its users has soured over the years.

According to the report, U.S. trust in tech fell 24 points over the past 10 years, regardless of age, gender, or income. The U.S. was the only market where trust in tech fell more than any other market. Tech still maintained a higher level of trust than other sectors of the economy, but the trends overwhelmingly point one direction, and it ain't up.

The lowest level of trust in tech was among older adults, self identifying Republicans, and lower income earner. More than half of adults 55 and up said they trusted tech, compared to less than half of people under the age of 18. A higher income earner is more likely to express trust in technology. Republicans were less likely to trust tech than Democrats were.

The decline in trust was attributed to people grouping well-received hardware and software companies in with low-trust social media firms. The report suggests that social media and digital applications are a drag on trust in the tech industry.

To all the makers of headphones and keyboards out there, blame Facebook and TikTok.

The bad vibes were caused by a number of factors, including social media. Concerns over data security, cybersecurity, misinformation, deep fakes, and the alleged politicization of tech all contribute to degrading trust. According to the report, lower levels of trust tend to translate to lower levels of tech adoption. Tech companies could see less money.

Nine out of twelve tech sub sectors were distrusted by American respondents. 34% of U.S. respondents expressed trust in self-driving vehicles. A third of them said they trusted Cryptocurrencies. Health technology and 5G were the only tech sub sectors where a majority of U.S. respondents expressed trust in.

The tech industry's struggles to maintain its grasp on public trust is highlighted in a new report. The industry was shown to be in a downward spiral in a poll conducted last year. After ranking number one in trustworthiness in nine major industries between 2012 and 2017, tech fell to fourth. The tech industry fell by two more rungs. Big pharma, healthcare, and the energy industry were not trusted by the report.

A 2020 survey of U.S adults conducted by the Knight Foundation and Gallup shows some examples of why the public can't stand tech. A majority of Republicans said they were worried about the spread of misinformation on the internet. More than 70 percent of adults said they were very concerned about their digital privacy. According to those who responded, technology did more to divide society than it did to unite it.

There was a time when the narrative surrounding Silicon Valley firms was so positive that it was hard to believe. In the early 2010s, Facebook and Twitter were praised as a way to bridge cultural divides and bring peace to the Middle East. It's clear that things have changed.