The blind leading the blind : IT and economic growth

For some reason today I remembered my participation in an international event a few years ago.  The theme was e-government in small (commonwealth) states.  Not that I know much about the commonwealth, or e-government for that effect.  But then I was invited to talk about my research.

The opening discourse made it clear a link between IT and economic growth.  In other words, invest in IT and somewhere along the line of time, there will be economic benefits.  Success stories from some countries seem to confirm this.  If you want to be more specific, then think of IT as a new source for business creation, tool to  achieve of efficiencies, sharing and dissemination of knowledge, and ultimately a leveraging point to improve quality of life. 

It is at this point though where the magicians (aka the blind people) appear to guide the rest of us (the rest of the blind people).  Those experts with knowledge to translate the effects and impacts of IT in economic terms.  The same experts that then go on to claim IT as a somehow gift from heaven, pervading every aspect of life, and making it better.  The latest chapter of this story is being edited by claiming that IT can help you and I live longer, so that we know what we can be living or dying for in the future given our bodily data.  

I am not an expert in economics as said before.  But cannot digest entirely this link between IT and economic growth.  If the link was so evident, why is that we have different success and failure stories? Whilst IT can indeed become a way to create industry, a way to innovate, and a way to disseminate information (not sure about disseminating knowledge either), why is it that we still think that it is people (managers, policy makers, students, entrepreneurs, housewives, house husbands, unemployed or failed graduates among many others) the ones who make the difference between success and failure? 

We can end up comparing the hardworking, visionary and organised people with the more lazy and less outspoken (I include myself in this latter group). I personally hate comparisons of character.  Perhaps I could live with comparisons of skills.  But then the debate would be limited to education or training, something I also think is misleading.  

As a good friend and former boss said to me once, we are betting on an ideal when we invest in IT.  We are unconsciously hoping that the success story will become true (you can read a previous blog post on the nice story about IT).  We are putting millions in the casino.  

All because of a link.

And of course we are hoping that people will do their bit, even in the darkest hours, when the link appears elusive.  

We need more meta-studies to ascertain more clearly what really IT is generating.  We need to decide how IT is really impacting in our societies, as well as how we want IT to be conceived of and used.