Does Your Smartphone Endorse Child Labor?

As followers of Christ, I think it’s time to put our money where our hearts are–if our hearts are in the right place, that is. Are there things being acquired in terrible ways that we absolutely can go without? What tools do we have to express to our providers that we do not advocate for child labor or slavery of any kind?

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It would be highly shocking if you haven’t heard of a “First World Problems” complaint by now; I mean, it’s nearly 2019. As technology has developed numerous times over the last several years, people continue making eye-roll-worthy statements about trivial issues. Problems that the Third World countries would scoff at. List 25 put together a list of said complaints that should make people with hearts for the less fortunate–or hearts at all–cringe.

“Ugh, my phone battery is on 1%, but the charger is all the way across the living room. First World Probs.” Even I have been guilty of this one. It’s a comment that echoes throughout millions of homes every day in the USA and other ‘top-of-the-food-chain’ nations. It’s not our fault, though, right? We live in a bubble that demands we remain fast-paced and well-connected. We are expected to keep up with the times and always strive for bigger and better. In fact, many of us tend to measure our success with clothing, accessories, gadgets, and so on. But take a moment to consider what fuels our glamorized lifestyles.

The phone that you reluctantly cross the living room for–have you ever considered that it might have a battery obtained through child labor? CBS News and Sky News both reported in March 2018 that children as young as four years old are mining through horrific conditions in the Republic of Congo for cobalt that powers all of our First World devices. Sometimes, they work twelve hours a day with hardly any reward to show for their efforts. If they can’t afford meals, they will go without food for a day or two. And no matter the weather, they literally slave through the trenches, receiving threats of abuse if they lose focus.

These precious children struggle to stay upright in the pouring rain with heavy sacks of cobalt on their backs just so that we can make pathetic comments about our chargers being ten feet away from us. Their health continues to decline as they consistently breathe in the poisonous dirt and dust while drinking polluted water, the very same that rinses off the cobalt.

I’m not saying to turn around and throw your phone out of the window. Unfortunately, it has developed into a necessity for us in America. What I do want is for you to take a step back and reevaluate what’s important. And do research, lots of research. Is Apple really backing up its claim that it has strict policies in place for the sourcing of its materials? Does Samsung really map out its supply chain? Is it true that Tesla barely even uses cobalt in its batteries? The more we are informed, the more we get a say in the matter. We control our consumption of products and how they are processed.

As followers of Christ, I think it’s time to put our money where our hearts are–if our hearts are in the right place, that is. Are there things being acquired in terrible ways that we absolutely can go without? What tools do we have to express to our providers that we do not advocate for child labor or slavery of any kind? What’s more, are we willing to sacrifice our comfort for the protection, safety, and justice of others? Sure, it might not be easy downgrading in our First World society, but we have to ask ourselves if our luxurious lifestyles are worth the blood on our hands, the blood of the innocent who want a day of rest and food.

Do not shy away from the tough stuff. Combat the complacency of our society. Give your voice to those that cannot advocate for themselves. Ask the “taboo” questions everyone else is too scared to express. Know where your money is going and where your resources are being compiled. We may not be able to completely eradicate our usage of cell phones and the plethora of other devices we rely on, but we certainly don’t have to turn a blind eye and accept the heinous treatments of our brothers and sisters.

Feature Image by Pexels.com

The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Becca is a gentle soul who seeks the best in the world and in others. She is easily touched by the beauty of books, music, and art. Though she aspires to write as eloquently as Emily Dickinson or Lang Leav, she hopes to make her own mark on the world one day. She dreams of leaving behind a voice that sparks creativity, imagination, hope, love, joy, and faith.