We all use our cellphones, whether it be for communication, checking the time, or keeping up on friends. A majority of U.S. citizens own a mobile phone.
The thing is, not many know what their phones are made of, or even the excruciating labor it takes to produce just one battery to power a cellphone. The mineral used to power batteries, cobalt, is mined in the Congo at great cost to the locals. A University of Chicago study states, “The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has the highest particulate pollution (PM2.5) in all of Africa, and the sixth highest in the world.”
Jennifer Talkington, history teacher, gives us her straightforward thoughts as someone who has looked into the issue previously.
“Paying workers very little or forcing them to work in poor conditions lowers production costs. Unfortunately, this can make their products cheaper and more competitive in the global market. Greed is the bottom line,” said Talkington.
The media does not cover this issue because several tech companies like Apple or Samsung profit directly from the injustice faced by Congolese people, both being incredibly common and mainstream brands in the U.S. Congolese workers make around $2.35 to $2.56 a day depending on location, while a single cellphone like an Iphone 17 costs $799.99 a piece.
The consensus among several articles is that what is happening in the Congo is unjust and immoral. NPR Journalist Terry Gross writes, “People are working in subhuman, grinding, degrading conditions. They use pickaxes, shovels, stretches of rebar to hack and scrounge at the earth in trenches and pits and tunnels to gather cobalt and feed it up the formal supply chain.”
A fellow journalist Eileen Villegas writes, “In this region, entire communities are often exposed to dangerous working conditions, toxic pollution and violence. Some areas are under the control of armed groups, leaving locals without the basic right to live and work safely.”
When a Taylorsville Student who wants to stay anonymous was asked about this issue, they said, “I’ve never even heard of that.” They were completely unaware of Congo’s situation.
Despite efforts made, no urgent actions are being taken to stop the forced labor in the Congo. There is also no news on TV about the injustice going on there, likely because of news stations being affiliated with benefactors of the cobalt industry. Without more publication, it makes sense why not many people have a grasp on the situation at hand.
As reporters, journalists, and activists try their best to spread news of the injustice in the Congo, the next logical step is getting the message out on tv, billboards, any way possible. If more awareness was brought to the Congo, a true movement to liberate the people could begin. A resource you could look into is Friends of the Congo. They are an organization you can subscribe to to hear about news and active developments in the Congo.
