What is the true power of the Internet in changing the world?

Following up on today’s exercise I have been wondering a bit about what role the Internet can play in changing the world for the better. This reminded me of a recent interview of Bill Gates by the Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/dacd1f84-41bf-11e3-b064-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2jvkraZd9

One aspect of the interview focused on what Gates thinks can be more influential in bettering the world: eradicating disease or connecting everyone to the internet. The latter idea is the mission for a Mark Zuckerberg venture, announced a few months ago- www.internet.org. As the website does very little to explain why they want to do this, beyond pointing out the fact that 2/3’s of the world is not connected to the internet, we are able to consider the why of this mission ourselves.

Before I expand on that, I will point out that Gates strongly, and apparently sarcastically, believes that eradicating disease is more important. Gates is quoted saying, “we need children not to die, we need people to have an opportunity to get a good education.” Simply put, connectivity is not going to do this. Ending polio and other diseases can be.

This is not meant to encourage a debate over whether connectivity or eradicating diseases is more important to helping to solve myriad of problems people throughout the world face. It does, however, allow us to look at the potential benefits of one while considering just one of the many other problems that are out there.

In my view, there is some potential good that could come from more people around the world having access to the Internet. Connectivity can create a better sharing of ideas, which can foster greater innovation. It can create venues for education beyond the classroom, allowing people to explore topics in more depth or which are not available in their schools. It can even help with the fight against diseases by disseminating information about immunizations, medications, and preventative measures.

However, for each of these points, the internet also has the ability to spread detrimental ideas, distract people from education, and spread false information about diseases. My limited firsthand experience of introducing computers proved less useful than I had hoped. The opening of a computer lab in my school in Mongolia turned into a venue for the teachers to play Spider Solitaire. In light of this, it is hard to determine what level of emphasis should be placed on connectivity.

Ultimately, I am of two minds about the benefits widespread connectivity can bring. What benefits do you see from greater connectivity? How should development goals intertwine a push for connectivity with problems like fighting diseases and education?