
After I graduate college I plan to be working in the start-up and tech community, specifically Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is the central hub for many of the world's largest tech companies such as Facebook, Google, and Uber. Essentially, what Nashville is to country artists Silicon Valley is to entrepreneurs. Many of these companies pay higher than average salaries in order to satisfy the high demand for talent but lack of potential hires. With these companies shoveling in more and more tech talent the cost of living in the Bay Area and surrounding areas continues to rise. There is a constant debate about whether or not this centralized location of extreme wealth is causing a more negative impact than a positive one. This research paper will explore that argument. 


Since I want to eventually be in Silicon Valley myself this question could be very personal although it is not right now. While I know I will be well off, I would still care about those less fortunate and want to help. Although economic inequality may be an issue there, it does not keep me from wanting to go there.


I currently work for a start-up company so I have seen first hand how quick and sudden growth can be and the need to add more employees.


My research and personal experiences make me qualified to write about this topic.

Source Summaries:

Two of my sources are articles written by John Swartz for USA Today. Swartz is an established writer for a variety of publications with a primary focus on tech and the San Francisco area. The article "The Softer Side of Silicon Valley" examines how the tech community has reacted to its economic problems. Swartz explains that although it may seem that the tech community has turned a blind-eye to its ever-increasing poverty gap, each year "techies" donate millions of dollars for those in need. Swartz does however note that throwing money at an issue does not make it go away. The problem is not that Silicon Valley is unaware of these issues, it's that they don't care. Swartz second article "Struggling in the shadow of Silicon Valley's wealth" describes the economic conditions faced by the lower-class. He explains how these conditions have contributed to a relatively high crime rate in the area. The majority of people facing these issues are Black Americans. He also goes into minor detail about how those in the tech industry have contributed to trying to make their situation better. Swartz makes the effects of the tech industry very clear in these articles.

My third source is an article written by Jeff Goodell titled "Down and Out in Silicon Valley" that goes a little deeper into what life is actually like for someone who does not work in the tech scene. Goodell describes food pantries with long lines full of working middle-class people. Many of these included nurses, restaurant workers, and other types of laborers. The median price of a home is $400,000 and a studio apartment in a bad neighborhood is $1,000 a month. When a low-income housing project opened up, they received over 19,000 applications in the first week. Without working in the tech scene, it's hard to make a decent living in this area as describe by Goodell.


The question is arguable because there are two different sides of the issue. Some may argue that it is indeed not the tech industries fault for their poor conditions, but rather the citizens inability to adapt to surrounding conditions. The other side argues that individuals shouldn't be forced to leave their home just to make a living.


The different perspectives of the articles do not affect my own, but it was interesting gather information from both sides. 


Based off the feedback received in class I think my research question is pretty solid.

