“Wealth and power will increasingly accrue to those countries, companies, individuals, universities, and groups who get the three basic things right: the infrastructure to connect with this real-world platform, the education to get more of their people innovating on, working off of, and tapping into this platform, and finally, the governance to get the best out of this platform and cushion its worst side effects.”
Arguably, this statement by Friedman is mostly true in the United States. Broadband connectivity is widely available for affordable prices. K-12 education is freely available for all, and companies are widely using the internet. Lastly, ICANN, Verisign and a host of other companies are governing the net well (arguably, ignoring the debate about net neutrality).
Conversely, this doesn’t seem to run true in most of India (except for major metropolitan areas). Broadband connectivity isn’t widely available and affordable. Education is available, but at the cost of losing a hand in the field or around the house. However, every day, while driving around, we see happy, waving, smiling people. On the surface, it seems as if the happiness quotient is much higher here in “poor” India when compared to “wealthy” America. Therefore, it seems that one of the worst side effects of the convergence of the ten flatteners is a loss of perspective and happiness for the people living in this digital era – or is it?
Debatably, the beginning quote is also true for most of Eastern Europe. However, it seems as if they are happier when compared to Americans? Is this first convergence the root of American unhappiness, or is there some other underlying societal source? When India becomes fully converged, will their happiness quotient decrease?
NOTE: This blog speaks in EXTREMELY general terms
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