English | EN Let's 'Help around' and save our society with a cool app
March 11, 2015
I think, we technology leaders can play a big role in saving our society and, eventually, the planet. To do that, we need to start from our home and neighborhood.
First, let’s scope this a bit. My mother is old; and with every passing year, she needs more and more help with simple things: shopping, travel, basic technical reparations in the house, etc. She lives in a building with about 500 households, among which she knows exactly three by name. We kids help her when we can, but again, we have our jobs and do not live around the corner.
Wouldn’t it be great if all 500 households have access to a ‘Help around’ mobile app like the one below?
This app would open up a huge network of potential helpers for my mother, literally within walking distance! It could also bring back a bit of the ‘social cohesion,’ which we have lost in most of the cities. This app, currently named ‘the connected flat’ is just an idea and still needs a bit more thought. However, I do see potential value and even a business case in this concept. Local governments may be willing to pay for it, because it will save them money in the end.
Smart usage of modern technology is the key to solving contemporary problems… whether it is in healthcare, welfare, transport, education, sustainability, safety or politics. And if technology is the key, we technology leaders obviously are the people to open doors and lead the way. Working in technology has never been more relevant and it will be even more relevant tomorrow.
It’s a huge responsibility for technology leaders, but somehow start-ups seem to be more focused on creative solutions for real problems than the big IT companies. That doesn’t seem right to me. Let’s not leave this responsibility to start-ups, let’s combine our strengths and start developing solutions. Let’s save our society and our planet.
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