Has the public's trust in Silicon Valley gone bust? Many say that it has - including some who live and work there. The center of America's tech industry used to be known for entrepreneurs building businesses out of their garages. But as CGTN's Phil Lavelle tells us, that's no longer true.

KEVIN SILICON VALLEY EMPLOYEE "There's aspects of it which are pretty nasty about its motivations."

A damning assessment. But an honest one.

KEVIN SILICON VALLEY EMPLOYEE "I'm not thrilled with a lot of what's going on in tech."

And this is from a Silicon Valley worker. This place loves solving the world's problems. Seems it has a big one of its own right now, though.

PHIL LAVELLE REPORTER "Does the tech industry have an image problem?"

"Yes. No question."

Fast Company magazine claims the public's love affair with this place could be over. And TechCrunch reports the tech worker is now seen in the same light as the stereotypical Wall Street banker.

PILAR LORENZANA HOUSING EXPERT OF SV@HOME "There's a lot of frustration that's built up - there's a lot of anger."

Even those who work in the industry, are often ashamed and afraid to talk about it.

KEVIN SILICON VALLEY EMPLOYEE "I've had multiple confrontations since living here. I don't wear anything with any identifiable logo anywhere now."

Like this guy. He has a senior position with a big tech company. Nervous about showing his face on camera. Sometimes nervous to admit what he does for a living too.

PHIL LAVELLE REPORTER "Let's say you meet somebody new, outside of the industry and they inevitably say 'what do you do', What do you say to them?"

KEVIN SILICON VALLEY EMPLOYEE "I try to think of describing what I do, without saying the words 'tech'."

So are you ashamed to work in this industry?

"At times, there are some parts of what we do that definitely make me a little ashamed - but then, there's parts that I'm proud of. So, it's a mixture."

PHIL LAVELLE SAN FRANCISCO "The fact is that the tech industry here has been hit by a number of big scandals. From Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. To Uber and claims of sexual harassment. To the (now former) Google employee and that leaked memo with controversial opinions about gender equality. Add to that Apple's apology for slowing down iPhones. Yahoo admitting it's 2013 hack was way bigger than originally thought. Put all these together. This has been a PR nightmare for this place."

PHIL LAVELLE REPORTER "Is all of this reversible?"

SANJAY NAIR GLOBAL TECH CHAIR OF EDELMAN PR "It definitely is. But for tech to build trust, they have to be proactive in addressing the policy issues that are creating all of this confusion."

PAT CONNOLLY TECH STARTUP FOUNDER OF COREVITY "We're in a place right now where innovation has been pushed aside by revenue growth."

Pat's a tech entrepreneur.

His startup, Corevity, is an all in one health app tracker. The concept: give users an individual health score. Like a credit score. Here's his diagnosis:

PAT CONNOLLY TECH STARTUP FOUNDER OF COREVITY "There was this underlying assumption for most people that Silicon Valley meant to do good. And money came with doing good. What's become very clear is that they want to do good, but not at the cost of losing money."

PHIL LAVELLE SAN FRANCISCO "And speaking of money - that's running into this because there is so much wealth here now in the Bay area that home prices have shot through the roof. San Francisco - average rent: $3,300 a month for a one bedroom apartment. By some estimates, you've got to be earning $123,000 - just to live comfortably. And many people here are nowhere near that."

How is what's happening with the cost of housing influencing what people are thinking about tech workers?

PILAR LORENZANA HOUSING EXPERT OF SV@HOME "The truth of the matter is that the situation is so bad right now that people are struggling to understand who to blame. And as human beings, it's very easy to lay the blame on one person, on one sector, and unfortunately, that's what we're finding right now. We are at risk of losing what it was - the spirit of innovation - that actually made SV what it is today."

Are we in danger of losing that?

SANJAY NAIR GLOBAL TECH CHAIR OF EDELMAN PR "I don't think we're in danger of losing that, but I think there is a question of: Where is the focus? I think tech as an industry needs to take a step back and look at what is it that's causing this distrust. And it's been their reaction to issues rather than being proactive about issues."

And so as the tech industry has grown. some have grown weary of it. But this is a place where a simple idea can change the world. Changing how others see it - that's a job that's much closer to home.

KEVIN SILICON VALLEY EMPLOYEE "I think the fact that there is at least awareness - or acknowledgement, if not awareness - that there's a problem now at least gives me a sense of hope (laughs)."

Phil Lavelle, CGTN, San Francisco.