Internet empowers communities
Giving internet to the rural areas is not just about getting them on social media or watching the latest funny cat videos. With the advances and precision of weather reports, the farmers can benefit and plan their crops and their lives. The idea is to empower the farmers and educate their children. Farmers are the back bone of any country.
So yes, they do need internet and we need to change our perspective as to why they are being given free internet. The ones that think they don’t need it perhaps only use it for entertainment.
Fast forward five years later, they can cross check the laws or rules for their own community and not just be the sheep that we all are. This will solve disputes, help to voice demands for change, cross check what their local politician is involved in, being able to do due diligence on the right selling price of their crops and so much more.
From Mr Gautam Dandona
UAE
No substitution for food
What Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last week about giving, or thinking to give, internet access to developing countries, is not really a good idea. Coming to the point, when you lack food, electricity, medicine and education, the internet is not going to be so useful. For example, how does the internet resolve the lack of food? How does it solve this? It will show you any program of how to find or cook some food, right? But it won’t put food on the table. So, if you don’t have money, you also don’t have food, electricity, education, water and even the internet!
From Ms Nicky Pop
Ramnicu Valcea, Romania
Enlightenment
I second what Zuckerberg said completely. There can’t be any agruement on this topic. If one portion of society doesn’t want to go to school or cannot afford to go for higher education, should I stop going to school or university? The same goes for internet access since it is a tool to acquire knowledge - just because some people don’t want it, doesn’t mean that others should have to stop an opportunity to learn. That cannot be accepted. We, being educated people of the society, would enlighten them.
From Ms Surma Sarkar
UAE
Double-edged sword
The internet can provide essential information and education to enhance and underpin basic necessities, especially health. However, the internet also gives “tools, knowledge, opportunities and a voice” to those who would do harm!
From Mr Adrian Wilson
UAE
Becoming human right
Yes, this is important. We are in the 21st century and things have changed. I even consider it to be a human right in this globalised world.
From Mr Rotkang Job
UAE
Not a priority
I think basic needs are most important. Food, shelter, basic health facilities, education, drinking water, electricity and many others come before internet access. No doubt these all are good moves and have to be adopted before internet access.
From Mr Mohammad Yahya
UAE
Don’t be short sighted!
It’s short sighted to not understand the benefits that the internet could have on a population. Granted, it won’t put food on the table, but it could teach fundamental farming methods for becoming a sustained population. No one is saying that if the internet is prioritised beside other basic necessities that those other basic necessities, like food, will fall at the wayside. It’s the inclusion of internet. The internet is an investment into a sustainable longterm future.
Many debaters here are referencing education, but why don’t you think the internet can provide education? It can make up for a lack in teaching staff and a lack of resources when there aren’t enough textbooks for students.
The general population might grow a better understanding of any wrongdoings of their government through internet access and fight to make them accountable because of it. The benefits of internet access are infinite, especially at the rate that technology is advancing.
From Mr John Arthur
Abu Dhabi
On the wrong track
One can survive without the internet, but not without food or water. When we focus on technology more than on meeting the needs of millions of people, we must know that we are on the wrong track. There are enough resources for everyone. It just stays in the hands of a few. The poor continue to stay poor.
From Ms Annu Alexander
UAE
Least of our priorities
Good governance, a comfortable lifestyle for the poor and fighting corruption and poverty should be the number one priorities. Internet access should be the least of our priorities. You can still survive without internet access. Internet is not a basic necessity for countries that are still struggling to cope. Food, shelter, employment opportunities and a healthy environment are still the basic needs of an individual, not internet access.
From Ms Maitha Al Khalifa Abineheet
Dubai
Masked economic gain
This is how people argue to pursue their economic gain with the mask of sympathy to the ‘have not’s’. It’s not to argue, however, that internet access is not necessary. Before anything else, humankind must be provided with food and shelter.
From Mr Ousman Mekonnen
UAE
Not a good excuse
It may have economic gain for businesses, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a bad thing to provide. It’s true that for many years companies have been drooling over the possibilities of giving internet access to the African continent, but just because there is economic gain to be had, it shouldn’t justify keeping entire populations in the dark.
From Ms Marta Ulman
Dubai
Never a basic right
A decade ago there was very little talk about universal internet access, but still life was good. The internet can destroy societies, not build them. There are millions of people who are still far away from access to basic human rights. Hunger, diseases, life under the open sky, exposed to natural calamities. In this situation, if you are going to just educate them about their rights, I think it is a cruel act. The main priority needs to be resources and then internet access. If there aren’t any resources, then this access is an illusion. The internet is not a basic human right. It can be included in life’s luxuries, not in life’s necessities.
From Mr Mohammad Sohaib
Dubai
Doesn’t stop hunger
Internet access is good, but it won’t ease hunger!
From Mr Muddassar Abbas
Dubai
It’s possible
No, but at the same time, there is no reason why we can’t have national Wi-Fi other than corporate greed.
From Ms Jen Reinhart
UAE
Needs to be free
Not only do we need access to internet, we need that internet to be free of cost.
From Ms Noor Al Deen
UAE
Eating takes priority
Although the internet has become a necessity these days, it is not essential to survival. People who cannot afford to have two decent meals a day or do not have access to clean drinking water will not be bothered if they have internet or not. Their main concern is food, water and shelter. Internet has become a basic necessity in developed countries where people have all other amenities available to them unlike in poor countries where each day is a struggle.
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Sharjah
A tool for manipulation
I couldn’t agree more. Zuckerberg saying that the internet is becoming a priority in the developing world is not right when the internet is a modern tool to manipulate a population. Our search history, likes, everything are compromised. They have all control over them and after a few decades when technology takes over, these so-called developed nations will be their very first victim.
From Mr Krishna Bhujel
Kathmandu, Nepal
All deserve it
Everyone should have internet access!
From Mr Shashikanth Poojary
Dubai
Is this real?
No food, no water, no shelter, no clothes, no education and no money. We’re saying to give them internet and they will raise their voice? Is this a joke or reality?
From Ms Pramila S. Raj
UAE
Hunger overtakes thought
You don’t think of the internet when you haven’t eaten for three days and don’t have shelter above your head.
From Mr Pratik Gore
UAE
Makes life easier
Opening up internet access to everyome will bring up loads of ease to life, to everyday tasks, it will bring more awareness to lots of people, businesses, situations and plights. The competition will also help bring down prices and increase service levels for customers. The educational potential through the internet is also very high.
From Ms Purvi Gokani Rupareliya
Abu Dhabi
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