Human Cost of Electronics??

I always knew that this was an issue, but this puts faces and stories to the issue.  While it's hard to buy electronics that are made in America or in fair wage/trade shops, it's why I try to buy things that are.  While it would be nice if the governments/corporations would step in to do whats right (and some do) I think it ultimately lies on us the consumer and where we spend our dollar.  

So, this is kind of a tough one for me.  Obviously the working conditions that both kids and adults face overseas are unacceptable to any of us in the US and pretty much any developed country.  However, in the countries themselves it's considered acceptable because it obviously occurs.  Many will argue that the conditions, as bad as they are, are still better than any other options these people have.

UNICEF did a fairly extensive study on this a few years back on the garment industry when the US passed a law to make it illegal to use child labor overseas.  Here is part of the summary from their report: http://origin-www.unicef.org/spanish/publications/files/pub_sowc97_en.pdf

The consequences for the dismissed children and their parents were not anticipated. The children may have been freed, but at the same time they were trapped in a harsh environment with no skills, little or no education, and precious few alternatives. Schools were either inaccessible, useless or costly. A series of follow-up visits by UNICEF, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) discovered that children went looking for new sources of income, and found them in work such as stone-crushing, street hustling and prostitution — all of them more hazardous and exploitative than garment production. In several cases, the mothers of dismissed children had to leave their jobs in order to look after their children.

We in the US try to impose our working standards on companies overseas, but due to the limitations and laws in effect it's very hard to police.  More importantly, in many cases these "horrible" jobs are the lesser of two evils because the economies in these countries are so horrible and there aren't better alternatives.  
Sure, these companies could use US labor and manufacture products in the US, but nobody is willing to pay $1000 for a cellphone and the US companies have to compete with companies that are based internationally so the US manufacturers are in essence "forced" to use cheaper overseas labor if they want to stay in business.

I don't like the conditions that these people have to work in.  I don't like the conditions people live in all over the world, but there's very little I can do about it when they have corrupt governments that keep people under this type of oppression.  Sure, I can not buy an iPhone, but if I buy any phone it's going to just be made in another factory by people under the same conditions so what have I really accomplished?

Looks like an interesting read, will have to read the entire thing tonight.

I agree with you, there is very little that we can do to prevent these conditions that the workers have to work in.  It is up to them and their governments to change these things.  Imposing our morality and will on them will not work.  We have proven this time and time again.  While I think it is atrocious and hate to be a part of it, like you said there is not much I can do - especially when it comes to electronics.  The items that I do try to buy that are American/Fair Trade certainly help, but in the end I am skeptical about the difference they make.

We went through this period in our own country not so long ago.  We had child labor, and horrible working conditions in most of our factories.  While we as a nation grew past it, perhaps we only moved the problem on to countries that were/are less developed? 

It's a part of life that isn't fair.  However it isn't my fault that I was born where I was either.  It's the luck of the draw.

You're so Skeptical!

lol, IKR.  ;-)