Internet as basic human right

[Earthbound Immortal Squad]

It's pure boomer mindset to think that the internet has not long since become a necessity for anyone who wants to have serious opportunities in life. More and more aspects of our daily lives are intricately tied to it, meaning that lack of access to it can become a socioeconomic, educational and cultural obstacle.

"Kids these days are addicted to their devices", said the Boomer in their 14th hour on Facebook that day. They then posted a Minions meme.

There is one very simple way to check if someone is addicted or not and that is to take all devices away from them for one month and see if they suffer withdrawal symptoms like any other addiction. It works surprisingly well because I tried it once.

Though ironically if the internet did become a basic human right then people would be more addicted because the greatest source for continuing an addiction is always convenience.

[MORBY SHIPPERS]

"Kids these days are addicted to their devices", said the Boomer in their 14th hour on Facebook that day. They then posted a Minions meme.

This 100% describes my 58 year old boomer mother. Ugh. She uses Facebook and WhatsApp all the time and yet she complains about her children being on their computer or phones all day. She also complains about "millennial ideology" a lot.

[Post War America]

The internet is a luxury. Plain and simple. It's no more essential than chocolate cake or champagne. Now, this is going to change eventually as more and more nations go paperless and we end up in a place where you literally can't pay your bills by hand. But that's decades away.

Given that China, a developing nation, has already moved hard to digitize most everything somebody does in their daily lives, I think that future is a little closer than "decades" away.

[Kowani]

"Kids these days are addicted to their devices", said the Boomer in their 14th hour on Facebook that day. They then posted a Minions meme.

There is one very simple way to check if someone is addicted or not and that is to take all devices away from them for one month and see if they suffer withdrawal symptoms like any other addiction. It works surprisingly well because I tried it once.

Though ironically if the internet did become a basic human right then people would be more addicted because the greatest source for continuing an addiction is always convenience.

This is why people whose governments guarantee access to water drink way more than anyone else.

Wait.

Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility, people!

[New Bremerton]

Internet access, like healthcare, must be made available to all free of charge. Anything less is a crime against humanity and the worst form of psychological torture imaginable. The collective sanity of the human race depends on it. But internet access alone means nothing in the absence of internet freedom.

There are issues pertaining to Chinese-style social credit that may arise in the not-so-distant future. If society ever goes cashless and a valid Google/Facebook account deemed to be "in good standing" is required to withdraw money from an ATM, go shopping for groceries, make a donation to a charity, ride the train/book an Uber cab to commute to work every day, or order your favorite cheeseburger even while physically at McDonald's with the only "waiter" being a screen, then internet access and freedom are basic human rights. Make a harmless remark to your mother in the privacy of your home about women/gays/Islam etc., which is picked up by a nearby mic in the room designed to recognize voices, words and phrases (probably from your own phone), and find yourself automatically banned from accessing Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Patreon, PayPal and even Mastercard and Visa, your accounts suspended/deleted for "violating terms of service" and your IP address blacklisted, often with no reason provided i.e. being insufficiently woke.

Social credit as dictated by Silicon Valley would force social, cultural and political dissidents and many innocent people into functional poverty, unemployment and geographic immobility. We already see this happening with credit rating agencies downgrading individuals, SMEs and even entire countries based on their spending habits. Imagine a dystopian future in which the major tech companies can make or break you, your friends and family, and even your country's economy and people's livelihoods on a whim, and the internet is literally your lifeline.

[Yuyencia]

This are highlight 「human right」 absurdity, drawing line reasonable requirement are impossibility, while only seek but not commit action make fait accompli are incapability establish security provide opportunity wicked mans are hijack demand undermine society

[Risottia]

Finland already considers access to an internet connection a basic human right.

Afaik, they do not. Source for your claim? Because I'm pretty sure for-profit telecoms do operate in Finland.

[Cekoviu]

Finland already considers access to an internet connection a basic human right.

Afaik, they do not. Source for your claim? Because I'm pretty sure for-profit telecoms do operate in Finland.

To be fair, clean water is usually considered a human right and for-profit companies that sell water exist...

[Immoren]

Finland already considers access to an internet connection a basic human right.

Afaik, they do not. Source for your claim? Because I'm pretty sure for-profit telecoms do operate in Finland.

Well perhaps "human right" is too stretch, as term.
lol