Should We Move Back to the Burbs to Save Our Economy?

Ever since my trip to Asia, my perspective of New York has changed.  In the last few years, NYC has become a tech mecca that’s able to rival Silicon Valley.  It’s bubbling with young entrepreneurs who are hungry to save the world and it’s certainly a refreshing change of pace.  But lately I’ve been wondering if there’s too much saturation in metropolitan cities and maybe the solution is that some of the tech talent could venture to other locations to help save our economy.  Would it make more sense for someone with my skill set to help individuals in other up and coming communities? Shouldn’t professionals like us help these cities by creating new economies and sources of income?

Do we really need more Fashion and geo-location apps?  A bulk of the industry is competing in very similar areas and they might be better off in completely different surroundings faced with real problems and their practical solutions.  A perfect example – I grew up in Miami and every time I go back I’m astonished at the lack of infrastructure down there.  Can Miami continue to survive only on tourism and service based industries?  Florida was severely affected by the recession, so it seems like diversifying their income stream would definitely benefit them in the long run.  So as Tech Entrepreneurs how can we help these other communities?  As an innovative DIY tech generation couldn’t we learn the challenges and understand their dynamics to create new ways for individuals to generate revenue? I think so.

I’ve stumbled upon various articles lately about Social Media strategists who ditch their day job to move to a rural area to help farmers and other small businesses, and it’s truly been an inspiration.  These days being connected simply means having Internet access.  Farmers are increasingly using Social Media to communicate with each other, and various digital tribes are forming – I found this interesting blog that coaches people on how to become a digital nomad.

The main idea behind it is if you have an online business or technology skills you can offer your services from anywhere around the US or the world, and with our current economy crumbling doesn’t it make sense to utilize our skills to create our own alternative economy? These are the types of questions I’ve really been pondering lately.  Let’s face it – with technology, collaborating around the world is as easy as connecting to a Wi-Fi network, and there are endless opportunities to expand our global reach from any home base we set our sights on.  What are your thoughts? Would we be more productive if we went to our original cities or suburbs to help these communities?

You may also like

One comment

  • Laura January 29, 2013  

    I love this, Luna!! I think it’s a great idea- can’t wait to see pictures of you in overalls and pigtails living on a farm 😉