1.
Chris Rauchle PhD Student 419582059
Technology’s effects on the economics of
Australian Indigenous Social Networks

2.
Social networking technology
Changing the way people interact generally
AI builds your
network for you
Amplifies
Geographical
Reach
AI determines
your interests
Ecommerce
Apps look into your
appointments,
contacts and emails
Less than 6 degrees
of separation now
Facebook tailors feeds
based on your
perceived preferences
People trying to
make a living with
technology
Indigenous and non-Indigenous people will be using technology to communicate and
transact business in ways that could not have been imagined even five years ago.
Ten years from now,when we look back at how this era of big data evolved...We will be Stunned at how uninformed
we used to be when we made decisions
– Billy Bosworth, DataStax CEO (2015)
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 2 of 13

3.
Differing communications styles
Was Local,
now Virtual
Was
Synchronous,
now
Asynchronous
Was One on
One, now
Broadcast
Was Human
but now
machine
transmitted
Space Time Trust Voice
The addition of technology to communication has changed social networking
for everyone, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.
Traditional and Contemporary
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 3 of 13

4.
Indigenous Youth Users
Visual communication paramount
Short bursts of
stimulation reward
use and habituation
Facebook has too
much content –
Instagram & Twitter
reward faster
Going to a browser
like Facebook
takes too long
Science fiction now
commonplace in
ten years
Dopamine
spikes use
Facebook ⇩
Instagram/Twitter
⇧
Browsing Out Notifications
In
Young people 14-24 are using Instagram and Twitter more.(KPCD)
This closely aligns with the Indigenous population that will be using social
media in the next five to ten years.
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 4 of 13

5.
OTT Apps displace Carrier
Whats App, Messenger, Viber and Skype
12-24 year olds are also using Snapchat
(does not keep pictures after viewing) to
communicate.(KPCD)
80%+ people in this group use the
camera in their phone at least once a day.
Video communication is preferred but
network doesn’t support mobile video
All Apps have a ‘Buy’ Button
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 5 of 13

6.
Advantages/Disadvantages
Australian Indigenous users of technology have in Business
• Network probably widely
distributed geographically
• More nodes to acquire sub-nodes
than just one community
• Highly social structure with an
expectation of continuous contact
• Valuable product – aboriginal art
and tourism is a viable and
unique commodity
• Lack of access to non-Indigenous
Networks
• Australian Indigenous run
businesses not
supported/respected by
Indigenous people as they are in
other Indigenous societies such as
New Zealand, Fiji or Hawaii
• Intergenerational poverty holds
back establishment of businesses
that might start ‘the old fashioned
way – through inheritance’
• Lack of community capital means
Indigenous business is necessarily
small scale unless it includes non-
Indigenous customers
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 6 of 13

7.
Indigenous Communities
Mobile Service towers / Community location
Facebook lite launched in 2G markets such as Africa
Telstra planning to delete 2G to increase number of handsets/bandwidth in 3G and 4G
4G is five years old…5G on the way – more users/devices, faster downloads, more applications
Google and Facebook’s LEO satellites cancelled in favour of Balloons (Google) and HALOs*
(Facebook)
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 7 of 13

8.
Enabling business
Removing friction in other countries
Fish Prices
India
Accurate prices
communicated
by friends at fish
market
disintermediatin
g agents giving
an inflated price
E-commerce
Vietnam
No wired
internet, all
wireless.
Shopping, home
delivery and
Remittances
Philippines
A large part of
national
income
Remittances
Somalia
Family
remittances
cut off due to
El Shahaab
bans on money
transfers
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 8 of 13

9.
Indigenous social systems
Limitations to technology
• Most indigenous users outside
urban areas well served by 4G so
on slower devices
• Mobile penetration in Australia
is highest in the developed world
BUT
• Mobile penetration in
Indigenous communities lower
than non-Indigenous
• Even the most disadvantaged
users are using social networks
to apply for jobs and extend
their networks (ACMA)
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 9 of 13

10.
Indigenous Economics
“…people use social media to build
support networks, solve practical
issues such as where to find their next
meal, where to find safe and warm
places to sleep and where to find
various social services.”
AU Mobile penetration is very
high (100% KPCB)
Device Access continues to be
an issue
Support networks
Computer Science | Faculty of Science 10 of 13

11.
Opportunities to make money
Computer Science | Faculty of Science
Remittances E-commerce App economy Health
Services
Family and friends
can be sources of
income
Art, Tourism and
Art Tourism
More Indigenous
people needed in
Computing Science
A growth industry
for Indigenous and
non-Indigenous alike
Indigenous people have a credible claim to the land – using ecommerce makes
it possible to make a living without exploiting it or extracting its wealth
11 of 13

12.
Opportunities to save money
12 of 13OFFICE I FACULTY I DEPARTMENT
EHealth Remove Fees Cut Agent
Commissions
Remove need
to travel
Removing days of
patient time for
consults
ATM fees
particularly
onerous
Without high
commissions some
communities labelled
‘unviable’
Every trip is
hazardous as well
as expensive
Eliminating travel to remote areas can save lives as well as days of time.
EHealth benefits are well known and new fitness tracking apps built into
smartphones promise even better treatment monitoring
Local businesses inflate fees and charges for substandard goods but coops and
regulation are making some headway against this ‘traditional’ business

13.
Future Research
• Writing up a paper on this research on
this and information from the last
census
• Next Census Aug 2016 – although
there are moves to dismantle it will
provide valuable comparative
information on Technology use and
community wealth/well being
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Social Survey was completed
this year and results should be
available early next year including
• Survey to determine if information
provided by census is out of date – still
looking at survey design
13 of 13

14.
Thank you
END

15.
Sources
• Facebook launches Facebook Lite, for super-slow connections http://wrd.cm/1dPIsSJ
• Demand for outback telehealth services triples http://fb.me/1IunYSSCk
• They aren’t “trialing” it. Basics Card was developed for the aboriginal intervention, and is a human rights
failure. http://arseh.at/myop
• Mike Loukides @mikeloukides May 9 - Yes. Blockchain & ledger: Bitcoin a distraction The Most Valuable
Aspect of Bitcoin: Its Versatile Ledger Technology http://www.technologyreview.com/news/537246/why-
bitcoin-could-be-much-more-than-a-currency/
• http://www.wsj.com/articles/vietnams-mobile-revolution-catapults-millions-into-the-digital-age-
1434085300
• Why are we all addicted to twitter, texts and google? https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-
wise/201209/why-were-all-addicted-texts-twitter-and-google
• What is the role of Dopamine in reward?
http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/capsules/pdf_articles/dopamine.pdf
• Homelessness and Smartphones ACMA www.acma.gov.au/.../item_9-homelessness_and_smartphones-
acma.docx
• KPCD
• Art economy – ebuisness (thesis) http://www.crc-
rep.com.au/resource/Bendor_EBusinessBenefitsForArtCentres_PhD.pdf