Life in the Network

The question, “What does access mean,� can be justified in a couple ways. In my opinion, I believe that having access to the internet includes the following: Having an actual physical connection to the internet, understanding the possibilities that the internet can give us, and having the know-how to navigate ourselves through the online world. However, when taking the example about the 84-year-old relative into consideration, I believe that she does indeed have access to the internet. Even though she does not want to use it for fear of privacy and fraud, my guess is that she has the means, and the know-how to use the net. The fact that she doesn’t want her information on the internet is her decision. If a person really needed to get something done online, and was capable of doing it, I would call that having access to the internet. Where I draw the line for having access, is when a person does not understand or know how to use the internet, even though they have access.

The question, “Should all adults be online?� is a good one. In my opinion, I think that all adults could benefit from the internet in some way, shape, or form. However, I do not believe that all adults actually NEED to be online. There are many people who live a life-style that has nothing to do with the internet, computers, or even technology for that matter. I think that it should definitely be a goal to educate all children to understand and know how to use the internet if needed. I think that this would be a much more useful goal for us to try and reach as a society, as opposed to having all adults with access to the computer. However, as the PEW Internet American and Life Project explain in, “Are Wired Seniors Sitting Ducks,� eventually the wired baby-boomers are going to be the senior citizens in this world. At that point in time, the internet usage will be at an all-time high, due to the fact that a large majority of the baby boomers are well educated in the use of the internet, as all the following generations have taken after them.

We all know that the internet has been a great invention and tool for people to use. However, because of this, individuals who have a lack of access are at an extreme disadvantage in becoming successful. The PEW Internet American and Life Project article, “Internet Penetration and Impact,� shows us that the people who use the internet the most, are the ones who notice all the benefits and improvements that it has to offer. This being said, people who do not have this type of internet usage are therefore missing out on the many opportunities. There are many jobs today that require a person to be able to use the internet. It is nearly impossible for a child to receive a good education today without having the use of the internet. It has been implemented into many schools, and almost all higher-education opportunities. This would mean that if a person did not know how to use the internet, receiving higher education would be much more difficult, thus putting them at a disadvantage. This is why I believe that basic elementary schools should have specific, required classes on internet use.

In regard to the “one laptop per child� program, I don’t think that having the use of the internet in 3rd world countries is on the top of their priority list at this moment. First of all, I agree with the prompt with the fact that those areas need food and shelter for their communities before they become concerned with education of the internet, let alone, computers. Second, I do not think that these areas would have the infrastructure necessary to support such a task. I do see where the vision of this program is going however. It’s kind of like the old saying, “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a life-time.� Unfortunately, I don’t think that many of the third world countries’ ponds have any fish to hunt for. However, from what we see on OLPC’s website, this program is just starting to be implemented with Libya, Uruguay, and Rwanda just recently signing up for the program. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.