Africa Photographer Witnesses the Human Cost of Our Electronics

Marcus Bleasdale knows more about what goes into your smartphone than you'd ever want to hear about it. The British photographer has been documenting unthinkable violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 1999

During that time, tens of thousands of child soldiers have been a part of conflict that has led to more than 5 million deaths. At the heart of this violence are what are called "conflict minerals," including gold and diamonds. More recently, three other conflict minerals — tantalum, tungsten and tin — have come into focus because they are used to produced smartphones, laptops, tablets, cameras and other electronic devices. Read more...