Considering how much of our existence is online these days, it seems like denying people the means to participate is almost like denying their right to exist.
I’d like to see a world where everyone has the capability to shape this digital space in a fair and accessible manner.
Yes for internet access. It’s vital for participation in modern society, education, jobs, healthcare, etc.
But what is a computer? There are many devices at many price points and with many different capabilities that can help people use the internet. It’s not like back in the day when you could just hand out a minitel device or something.
I remember when I stuck to a flip phone while my friends were obsessing over smart phones. Yet, I admit that the way the world moves now, it’s a pretty clear need. One of the core human needs is interaction, and such a huge proportion of it happens online. Whether you’re looking at subjects of employment, or even just finding community, it’s a struggle otherwise.
I still enjoy meeting people out on the street, but you can’t make as many meaningful contacts that way anymore.
Yes they should have access to the internet off they desire. Banning anything never makes it better, especially something that objectively causes no harm. It’s like banning cars because people have car accidents or can use it to drive away from a crime.
No. A year ago I would have said yes, but I’ve come to realize some uncomfortable truths.
The Internet is dying, the parts that will remain are able to manipulate users, and actively doing so to create a global rise of distopian authorization surveillance states
I think we can either have an underground Internet of technical minded people, or you get a weapon that will be used against the people
As the death of the Internet becomes more obvious, new technologies will spring up to replace it with a decentralized, non-commercial version. Already seeing apps coming out, like BitChat, that don’t use the internet at all.
Yes it should be a basic human right.
But with that said, it shouldn’t be a basic human expectation. There should always be simpler alternatives to basic daily needs, not everyone has access to the internet, nor does everyone even have the mentality to fully utilize modern technology.
Also, fuck touchscreens in cars. /rant
Car touch screens are the dumbest thing ever lol. “You can’t use your phone behind the wheel, so we mounted this giant phone to your car!”
Yay lobbying! /s
I remember when the Tesla Model 3 was pretty new, there was a guy who got pulled over and filmed the interaction. The cop told him he needed to put away the iPad. He kinda chuckled, thinking the cop was joking. But the cop was serious. So he had to explain to the cop that the giant-ass screen was built into the car.
I dunno. I’m on the fence with this. I don’t feel that anyone has a right to misinformation.
That’s up to the user to rub their brain cells together and decide.
Stupid people having access to other stupid people has got us; flat earthers, anti-vaxxers, “truthers”, and worst of all, trumpers.
I think food, clean water, medicine, and education should probably come first.
You hit the nail on the head. As a society we can’t even agree that basic healthcare and education are human rights.
Just pile access to the Internet on top, I guess. Sure, access to the Internet is a requirement for modern life. So is not dying from treatable diseases.
If not a basic human right, it should be something very close to it. Obviously things like privacy, food, clean water, medicine, education, and basics like that should come first, but having Internet and computer/phone access has basically become a necessity and should probably be treated like a basic human right at this point.
Trying to apply for a job? Majority of places anymore require you apply online before you can even land an interview. Even then, there’s a chance you’ll have to do an online call for that interview.
Need to do school work like writing an essay or any coding/programming? You sure as hell ain’t getting that done without a computer anymore and can’t always rely on doing it at school.
I have nothing but contempt for what the internet has become under corporate control, and yet here I am on Lemmy, posting like it’s some late-60s experiment in collective culture and community.
Given how much of our survival and daily needs are tied to technology, access to the internet absolutely should be considered a basic human right. In modern times, being cut off from the digital world often means being cut off from employment, education, healthcare, and even your bank in some places.
But we should also be imagining a world where life doesn’t have to revolve around being online 24/7. A humane society would guarantee universal access, while also freeing us from the coercive pressure to be constantly connected just to meet our basic needs.
No. Access to clean air, drinkable water, healthcare, and a fair living wage are more important and should come first.
Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs
Both can be true, so you can still say yes, then prioritize.
So, if the air is never cleaned to your standard, nobody else can ever have anything else? You didn’t put food in there. Food stamps not on your list? Maslow’s Heirarchy of Sandwiches?
What if you need the internet to order sandwiches? Or potable water? Or to get education? Or pay your bills? Or for easy government communication? What if you need to coordinate people to clean the air? Your phone is the internet for most people. You gonna use your rolodex instead? lol. Your paper address book that you wrote everyone’s name and phone number in? lolo. Maybe the white pages? lolol. Telegram? lololol. Candygram! hahahahah.
Fuck you, we need the fucking interwebz.
Your emotionally charged response to something you disagree with is quite characteristic and telling. Internet connection vs. air, water, food, and shelter: I would rather breathe than engage with trolls like yourself online via my Internet connection. If you’re smarter or more prominent than Maslow, publish and justify your own needs model.
No fuck you. Just because you are rude and i imagine you are not traditionally good looking and have bad body odor. Im also sure most of your friends just tolerate you and your friend circle would function just fine without you.
Your points are valid though and i understand where you are coming from.
I would just want to point out that things like water, health care and education are more important human rights than access to internet and by that i mean those are things society should make sure are available for everyone, even those who for some reason have no acces to internet.
If providing internet to everyone is the most cost effective way to make sure everybody has access to more important things that are critical for survival it should be provided, but i dont think internet in its self is neccessity for live.
Absolutely and unquestionably, even the US government has a page on it lol.
https://www.state.gov/internet-freedom-and-technology-and-human-rights/
Don’t let the orange menace see that, he’ll have it erased…
Erase anything that mentions freedom from internet gov sites is coming up next
For now.
Lmao I was shocked to see it in the first place.
Information should be a utility, like water, phone or electricity.
Ideally there should be publicly owned tier 1 ISP, but failing that there should be minimum standards of service provision like with other utilities.
Yes. But also, lets remember most countries are still in the kiddie pool of “is food a basic human right?”. So you know, dream big, but keep expectations in check.
I want to say yes. Because it is absolutely so necessary to life these days.
But i equally want to say no! You should need to get an internet drivers licence for that shit! Some people are so susceptible to scams, fake news and propaganda that having access to a rectangle that thrusts it down your throat, pretty much unfiltered, is fucking dangerous.
No.
Here’s my reasoning. For example, when pedophiles are caught online, they have their internet access revoked as part of the punishment to their crimes. If you feel that accessing computers and the internet should be a basic right, you are saying that this pedophile’s ‘right’ to use a computer and the internet is infringed, despite doing a considerably awful thing.
And that’s something I just cannot simply get behind.
Furthermore, the internet has been contested numerous times and moreso than ever, about the legitimacy of the information on it. We’ve been going through a few awful periods where right now, information is being fixed and rigged to favor certain political ideologies, pseudoscience and outright bias. I have always been told that everything that is on the internet should always be taken with a grain of salt. I would rather we have a right to a library than we have a right to information on the internet.
If everyone is complaining so much about the ‘damages’ of social media, what would making the internet be branded a ‘right’ improve? Great, you have to the right now, to be lied to and misinformed. Good on ya!
I initially said yes, but you make an excellent point. Internet access should be a privilege.
I think specifying the technology isn’t a good idea, and can lead to loopholes in the future.
