Why We Can’t Let American Tech Take Over the World

Apps, designs, websites and other technology exports wield great cultural influence, argues Sean Madden in Wired, adding “Our iPads, Fuelbands and Xboxes may be made in China, but they’re the products of an emphatically American cultural mindset…. Even the major electronics innovators of Asia have centered their user experience design efforts in the U.S.” Marketing for products tout individuality, an American value. Madden expresses regret that affluence and technology contribute to homogenization of culture. He urges cultural fluency and diversity along with regard for “human-to-human interaction,” and “designing for groups of people… rethinking the definitions and assumptions of the ‘group.’” He points to a money-transfer system for banking in Sub-Saharan Africa and Korean and Chinese communication apps that allow conversations based on exchanged images as homegrown designs based on user experience. The tech company that masters cultural respect, offering a user experience that does not demand cultural sacrifice, could make a fortune. – YaleGlobal