Do we need to adjust our technology priorities?

Two stories in the New York Times’ July 5 edition demonstrated the dichotomy of technology investment in the United States today.

The first story was a front-page report about technology that identifies what we watch on our smart TV and sends that information to marketers to deliver ads to our computers, tablets and phones. Companies are scrambling to sell this technology and TV makers like it because it gives them additional revenue. Marketers are signing on to the technology, though the effectiveness is far from proven.

The story affirms that, here in the U.S., we’re really good at tracking what people watch, no matter the device, then delivering a related marketing message, no matter where they are or the device they’re using. I recently searched for information on life insurance; now I can’t go anywhere without an ad for a life insurance company staring me in the face.  

The second story was an opinion column, which cites the views of many IT experts that the U.S. is woefully unprepared for a cyberattack – one that could cripple the nation’s basic infrastructure, including electricity and water delivery.

As someone who has worked in marketing and public relations for decades, I understand the importance of delivering a relevant message to consumers. I also understand that those advancements in delivering messages are accelerating because there’s plenty of money from investors.

But those messages will have no effect if the devices to receive them can’t turn on because they’re out of power.