“If you are reading this, chances are you have a stake in the Internet economy”
Internet, I believe is the second most profound technology after the Electricity, that mankind has seen in last couple of centuries..
Why? Because, the most profound technologies are those that disappear… They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it… Internet is one such profound technology that has weaved itself into the fabric of our everyday life, and, we have started taking it for granted…
Can you think of leading your daily lives without the Internet???
Our personal, as well as, professional life comes to a stand still in the absence of Internet…
And yet, for 3.27 Billion people on the planet, out of total world population of 7.26 Billion, equivalent to 45% of the global population, even the imagination of minimal access to Internet is too profound… or even a fantasy..
And, this is impacting “their” social, as well as, economical lives…
Internet could be real enabler to empower the underprivileged communities for their respective Social and Economic upliftment…
What are we individually or collectively doing towards this social & moral imperative???
Initiatives like Digital India are not the prerogatives of the government agencies only; we as individuals, could really play a pivotal role in making this initiative a grand success with our individual bits n bytes of contribution in someway or the other, enabling and empowering the underprivileged masses with our respective technological domain expertise…
There shall be enough big guys to build the smart cities, but who shall make our nation a smart nation? Incidentally, in our nation 68% population lives in rural areas, and 400 million people do not have even access to the electricity… So, unless we make our villages smart and empower the rural population with a sustained safe, healthy and economical independent life locally, our nation shall not be considered really smart.
Let’s take a few steps beyond merely providing them access to electricity & Internet, and empower n enable them to lead a healthy, safe and economically prosperous life, LOCALLY…
Let’s take a pledge to move beyond the paradigm of using Internet for merely self-progress and gratification to leveraging the Internet for the upliftment of our fellow unprivileged citizens and empowering & enabling them in someway or the other…
In the meantime, have great fun with Internet… Remember, your one google search consumes energy equivalent to what you consume in boiling Two Kettles of water for your Tea/Coffee…
Coming next.. Safe Internet Day in February … Safer Internet Day 2016 will be celebrated on Tuesday 9 February 2016, with a theme of ‘Play your part for a better internet!’.
HAPPY SURFING….
