Too Poor to Afford the Internet
nytimes.com
Too Poor to Afford the Internet
1–10 of 158 posts
Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#2What they don't talk about is the real struggle the less-literate face, even when they have access to computers.
I tried to teach a class on computers in my local library and that was often the hurdle. Adults who want 'computer training' are most excited about getting a job. But while it's easy to teach them to move the cursor and click on the browser, that doesn't do any good when they can't write enough to search, or read job descriptions, or write their resume.
Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#3When TWC stops providing horrible internet service for astronomical prices then maybe things will change.
Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#4Rather than home internet access. I'd create safe study places for these kids to do their homework and even just hang around in.
Children in poverty often suffer from dysfunctional families that disrupt their studying and lack of life mentors to motivate them to pay attention in school.
If you could have supervised after school hours just for these kids to do their homework and maybe engage in a bit of self learning it would be much more useful than having home internet access.
Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#5When TWC stops providing horrible internet service for astronomical prices then maybe things will change.
That will hopefully come soon enough - https://www.charter.com/merger-twc
Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#6I'm torn about this. On the one hand it's clear that access to the Internet is almost as important as other utilies, such as clean water and heating oil.
On the other hand regulation is exactly how broadband rollout has been stifled in the past and present by incumbents, and is at least partly to blame why it's so expensive right now.
I want it deregulated and opened up to very serious competition. I also want our government to build reliable infrastructure (fiber) as much as is possible.
Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#7Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#8Rather than home internet access. I'd create safe study places for these kids to do their homework and even just hang around in. Children in poverty often suffer from dysfunctional families that disrupt their studying and lack of life mentors to motivate them to pay attention in school. If you could have supervised after school hours just for these kids to do their homework and maybe engage in a bit of self learning…
Libraries?
Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#9I have a weird question: How come the kids congregate outside the library for the wifi? Is there a thing that you can't go in just to use the wifi? I used to do that all the time in college, didn't even have a card.
Re: Too Poor to Afford the Internet
#10Can I just say how much I love the way public libraries have navigated themselves into the digital age?
They are, as this piece points out, very popular places to access computers and the Internet, and many libraries offer a wealth of digital content. I can check out and instantly download e-books and audiobooks and movies from my library.
It's certainly conceivable that they might have transitioned less well. There is, after all, a healthy amount of government bureaucracy in the public library system, and that tends to stymie innovation. And then there's just the pain of transition. Bookstores have felt those pains hard; it's not that people don't want content, but they want content in different forms, and a lot of bookstores just couldn't move fast enough.
But I'm really glad to see libraries continue to be generally healthy, and important community resources.