Does Everyone Deserve Internet Access
By Leo Notenboom
Should everyone have access to the information and services available on the internet? Leo says Yes and this is a big problem that needs fixing.–PC Pitstop
Nearly 20% of people in the United States don’t have internet access. In my opinion, that’s a big problem that needs solving. I’ll explain why.
Last week, I shared on the Ask Leo! Facebook page an article from my local Seattle newspaper. It originated in the New York Times with the upshot that, “Roughly 20 percent of American adults do not use the Internet at home, work, school or by mobile device…”
My thought: How do we fix this?
Surprisingly, I got several comments to the effect that it’s not something that needed fixing.
I don’t think I could disagree more.
Why the internet matters
The internet, and more precisely internet access, has slowly become an important, even critical mechanism to gain access to information and services.
I’m not talking about cat pictures here.
To quote the New York Times:
“Administration officials and policy experts say they are increasingly concerned that a significant portion of the population, around 60 million people, is shut off from jobs, government services, health care and education, and that the social and economic effects of that gap are looming larger.”
It’s no secret that more services are being provided online. Perhaps more importantly, more services are being provided only online. In a world faced with a constant battle to cut costs (particularly in government and social services), online solutions not only make things easier and more accessible to those online, but it can save a lot of money. These organizations no longer have to print and mail as much paper, or provide as many costly in-person services.
The assumption is that everyone who needs the information and services is online.
That’s false.
It’s about more than internet access…Article Continued Here
This excerpt appears with permission from Leo Notenboom.
