Tech’s Shifting Sands: A Worker’s Share

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They said the machine would lift us all, that the silicon heart would beat for the betterment of man. And for a time, it did. From 2023 to the end of 2025, the tech sector bloomed, a gaudy flower promising riches. A 131% rise – enough to make a man dream of a life beyond the assembly line, beyond the endless scroll of gig work. But the bloom fades, doesn’t it? The sun shifts, and the shadows lengthen.

Now, in 2026, the whispers are different. The grand promises feel brittle, the gains unevenly distributed. They talk of “correction,” of “volatility,” but these are just polite words for the shifting of burdens, the quiet anxieties of those who build the machines and those who depend on them. The Vanguard Information Technology ETF – a vessel holding $130.3 billion of other men’s hopes – has barely dipped, down a mere 3.6% year to date. A comforting statistic for those at the top, perhaps, but a cold one for the man staring at a shrinking paycheck.

The Divide Widens

Look closer, and you see the cracks. The chipmakers – Micron, Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom – they thrive, gorging on the demand for ever-faster, ever-smaller miracles. The iShares Semiconductor ETF is up 18.6% – a testament to their power, their ability to extract wealth from the digital ether. They build the tools, and they reap the rewards. But what of those who wield them? The software men, the architects of the digital world? Their fortunes are fading. The iShares Expanded Tech Software ETF is down 27.2% – a grim sign of disruption, of the old guard trembling before the rise of the new.

They say it’s “AI disruption.” A fancy term for obsolescence, for the fear that your skills, your livelihood, are no longer needed. Microsoft, Palantir, Oracle, Salesforce – giants brought low by the specter of automation. The machines are learning, and the men who built them are suddenly unsure of their place.

Here’s a glimpse into the holdings, a ledger of fortunes won and lost:

The Vanguard ETF, a broad sweep across the sector, masks the truth. The gains from the chipmakers offset the losses in software, creating a mirage of stability. But beneath the surface, the currents are strong, and the tide is turning.

Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft – they hold 43.3% of the ETF. A precarious concentration of power. If these behemoths stumble, the whole structure will tremble. But it’s not just about the giants. It’s about the countless smaller players, the men and women who pour their lives into building the digital world, who depend on the health of this fragile ecosystem.

A Balancing Act, or a Slow Squeeze?

They tout these ETFs as “balanced,” as a way to “diversify.” But what does diversification mean when the underlying system is rigged? When the gains are concentrated at the top, and the burdens are shifted down? Software once powered the tech boom, but now it’s seen as a liability, a relic of a bygone era. There are quality companies, yes, but they are undervalued, overlooked, squeezed by the relentless march of progress.

Chip stocks are booming, but the semiconductor industry is cyclical. Boom and bust. A feast for some, a famine for others. To put all your eggs in one basket is foolish, but to spread them thinly across a rigged table is hardly better.

The only sensible reason to avoid a sector-wide ETF is if you’ve already amassed a fortune in one of these giants – Nvidia, Apple, or Microsoft. Why double down on a winning hand when you can spread the risk, however illusory? If not, the Vanguard ETF is worth considering, but approach it with open eyes, and a healthy dose of skepticism.

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2026-02-27 23:24