There’s no denying that in this day and age,
technology has taken over a considerable portion of our lives. Aside from
cellphones, the most prominent technology to have hit our generation is the
Internet. Now information, news and even people are literally a Google search away.
Back in 2011, the United
Nations (UN) released a statement that said the UN has recognized that
Internet access is a human right.
We here at
the Sundial believe that Internet access is as of now a privilege, since we
have to pay to have access to the net. Given the precedence of the Internet, we
believe that the internet should become a human right. Even so, there are some
precautions to understand if we were to hand universal control of the Internet
to a single power.
To us
Matadors, and even more so for those of us at the Sundial, the Internet has
become an indispensable tool necessary to do almost all of our daily tasks.
Whenever the Internet at school goes down, we freak out.
From just
perusing the Internet to using Google Documents to put together an essay for
class, the Internet has surgically embedded itself into our daily lives. Many
who live in this era can no longer imagine what life would be like without the
Internet.
Think
about it. In developed nations, nearly everything is found or done online now.
The Internet has become the new classifieds, as friends use social media to
broadcast a job opening, or when job-seekers use Craigslist, Monster or the
company site itself to search and apply for a job. These job searches more than
likely lead us to an online application, a print-out of an application or the
instructions to email a resume.
But the
Internet is more than just a gigantic classified ad. For college students, it’s
become a necessity.
Media convergence
of the classrooms is taking place, as evidenced by the various my CSUN tablet
classes, Moodle and online classes. There’s no denying that the Internet and
technology is taking our learning environment beyond the traditional classroom.
Now,
tests, quizzes and sometimes even finals are being facilitated through Moodle.
Electronic submissions of essays are commonplace, and emailing professors for
help or to schedule office hours is often taken for granted.
Not only is
that, but reminders and notifications constantly sent to students through the
use of the Internet. Applying for FAFSA now takes
place online, as well as registering for our classes.
Navigational
apps on our smartphones have become common, as people will now say that they
will just “navi it.” Now, reaching places we’ve never been to before is easier
than ever with the Internet and our phones.
These
things that have become second-nature will fall if the Internet goes down.
Internet
is a wealth of information
The
Internet is an informative and vital tool. It is the source and form of
information for billions. Not only does it serve to keep the global community
up to date with world events at a swift rate, but it also serves as a worldwide
platform built for interactive communication.
From research
papers to just reading the news, the Internet has the capacity to hand us
information within seconds. Google Search takes literally less than one second
to give you results that can number within the millions.
To
localize the impact the Internet has on our access of information, look at our
own Oviatt library. Books have become searchable online to check for their
availability and location. Some texts have even become an online-only text and
online resources from other libraries can be pulled by the Oviatt for us to
use.
On a
global scale, the spread of information has led to various uprisings throughout
the world. Just look at Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks. Wikileaks was
able to release over 700,000 documents of classified United States military proceedings.
One of the documents included a video in which US soldiers shoot suspected
Iraqi rebels from a helicopter. The leak caused to the US Military to review
the video.
The
Internet spreads word of injustices that happen all around the world. Take the
situations happening in Syria, Venezuela and Ukraine. Without the Internet
allowing for citizens within those nations to pass information, the world
wouldn’t have much knowledge as to what’s really going on.
To a large
degree, the Arab Spring revolutions throughout the Middle East and parts of
North Africa wouldn’t have gained momentum without the Internet. The
revolutionaries during the Arab Spring used social media to organize their
communities, and thus inform and mobilize the global community to help support
these revolutions.
Control
of the Internet
While we
support the belief that the Internet should become a human right, there are
dangers if governments worldwide were to take control of the Internet.
Making the
Internet a human right should not make it a public resource. The physical
infrastructure such as cell towers and wiring already laid out by independent
companies as well as technical developments are vital in advancing our understanding
of what we’re capable of on the web. If the Internet becomes a government
utility without competition, it risks stagnation.
Having a
market of competitive providers keeps rates reasonable and technology fluid,
which could prove beneficial as entrepreneurial companies expand into
less-connected areas. Keeping Internet connectivity diversified, as opposed to
the way our water is handled, also ensures that no one has definitive control
over access and available content.
This is
essential when issues like censorship and privacy come into play. For example,
during Egypt’s revolution, the internet was censored by the government in order
to suppress information and quell the uprisings.
Instead of
becoming the source of public Internet access, governments should strive to
become a hub for them by brokering contracts and working with private providers
to create a public network. There should be regulations on the providers to
ensure a diverse market, but not much government interference beyond that.
Providers seeking to win public favor would then have to continue to improve
their product, theoretically improving the options available to consumers.
As of now,
the Internet is a privilege. About two billion people have access to the net,
according to the Internet World Stats. However there will come a time where the
Internet will become a right. The Internet is changing our society, and has the
potential to bring even greater change to this world.
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