The Price of Gadgets

As consumers, we in the U.S. are pretty damn uninformed.  I'm currently playing music from my ipod nano over a set of sony speakers via a stereo to audio out jack.  I have no idea where any of those products were produced.  You are probably in a similar situation.  Sure you read that sticker that said, "designed in California," but I guarantee you it wasn't built there.  I can give you a hint though.  The largest manufacturer of U.S. gadgets is a Taiwanese company that has quite a large number of factories in China.  The name of this company is Foxconn and it makes products for Apple, HP, Dell, and Nokia (just to name a few).  Foxconn also has an alarming number of suicides already this year (9 deaths, 2 seriously injured).  It makes me wonder, are the gadgets worth it.

Like I started, we have a bad habit of using a ton of products that we know absolutely nothing about.  Now, I'm not talking about what the product actually is.  Of course you know that the computer you're reading this on is made up of a processor stuffed with ram and peppered with an OS ready for you to eat out of your monitor bowl.  However, where and how was it made?  Does it matter?  Do you care?

Most of us are probably all aware that the labor standards are a bit more lax in China than in the U.S.  Heck.  That's why so many companies bring their business over there.  You may say, "But Eric, most of our products come from China... why not go on a rant about shoes."  Well loyal reader, the fact is that for me, gadgets are different than most other products.  In my mind, they cross that line between life tool to luxury.  I can't justify a computer or ipod the same way one would possibly justify a pair of shoes or sweatshirt.  That being said, it should ring a warning bell that Foxconn actually is one of the better paying companies in China.

So here's the deal.  This isn't anything new... unless you haven't thought about it.  I hadn't.  I am now.  As of right now, I've already sent an email to Dell, HP, and Apple saying that as a consumer (soon to be buying a new computer) I really care about what steps they take with this Foxconn business.  So far Dell has said nothing.  HP has commented that it is investigating the working conditions.  Apple has said the same and a rumor popped up on Engadget that Apple may start paying Foxconn employees directly.  It's a start.  I believe that this really is all in the hands of the companies employing Foxconn.  Personally, I'd love to see these companies bring these jobs back to the U.S.  They should put a little American flag on their products and call it the America tax.  I'd pay it if it meant that my product was built by employees who don't feel enticed to commit suicide.