Mark Zuckerberg says connectivity is a basic human right – do you agree? 3 January 2014 theguardian.com

It's good to talk … Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg believes the world is better off connected.

Amid a year of online innovations, the Facebook founder says a better-connected world benefits local economies. Is he right?

Over the past year, several significant online innovations have emerged. It was predicted that mobile phones would outnumber people by 2014, with low-cost smartphones opening up opportunities for even more people to get connected. And the UN turned to the internet to canvass opinion on what should replace the millennium development goals.

In August, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that he aimed to get every person on the planet online. He then launched internet.org, along with a 10-page document entitled Connectivity is a Human Right that outlines his vision of the future.

This followed the 2010 launch of Facebook Zero, a text-only version of the site with no data charges. In the 18 months since its launch, Facebook users in Africa increased by 114%. The business benefits for the popular social-networking site are obvious, but Zuckerberg believes a better-connected world is better for local economies, too.

Next came Twitter, which in December signed a deal with a Swiss mobile company to enable cheap access to users of phones with basic features or on low-cost plans.

Wikipedia also got in on the act. Its foundation, Wikimedia, has a clear mission: to create a world "in which every single human being can freely share the sum of all knowledge''. Last year the company launched Wikipedia Zero, a flagship programme that partners with mobile phone providers to let people browse with no data charges. As with Facebook, the term "zero" signifies free data.

In October, Wikipedia joined forces with Airtel to provide Wikipedia Zero by SMS for the first time in Kenya. Users can text *515# to receive an invite to search Wikipedia; they are then sent the information requested a paragraph at a time. After a three-month trial they hope to expand the service. Wikimedia hopes to reach 1 billion people by 2015.

The most recent partnership announced by Wikipedia is in Burma, which has a 10% mobile phone penetration rate, one of the lowest in the world.

Meanwhile, Ground source is testing a new platform to ensure that communities that are not online are able to get their voices heard. The platform, which works on feature phones, hopes to bring people together over shared concerns and connect them with journalists.

In India there are an estimated 200m internet users, but only 30% are women. Google hopes to change this by helping 50 million women go digital over the year. It's helping women get online website gives a step-by-step guide to the internet, from computer basics to language preferences. Mothers are targeted by "inspirational" quotes such as "internet moms connect well with their kids" and "internet moms make meals fun". The company has also set up a toll-free helpline and partnered with companies to raise awareness of the initiative offline.

There are also innovations such as BRCK, a low-cost modem, designed for Africa that can switch between Ethernet, Wi-Fi and 3G/4G connection. Its backup battery means it can last for eight hours off grid.

So are we going to see a dramatic increase in the number of people getting online in developing countries over the next few years? How can people overcome the barriers of high charges, low network coverage, a lack of reliable electricity and restrictions to information due to laws enforced by their governments?

Questions for comprehension

1. What is your understanding of the term “connectivity”?

My understanding of connectivity is, when you socialise and mix with people in many forms. For example: you can talk to someone face to face and connect with them by talking, you can communicate over the internet, by using a number of apps and websites, such as: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr etc. You can talk over the phone and still have a “connection”, there are many ways to connect with people, but these are my basic and simple ideas, of connecting with one another.

2. What are Facebook Zero and Wikipedia Zero, and how do these work?

Facebook is a website, which also comes in an app. It’s where you connect with one another and meet new people and talk to them. Wikipedia is also another website, it allows every human to freely share their knowledge on the website. For example, if I wanted to research something about the moon, then Wikipedia would give me a source of information, about the moon. However, “Wikipedia Zero”, is a programme that partners with phone providers, to let people browse and use the website with no data charges. So the term “zero”, means that there’s free data.

Why are these thought to be good for developing countries?

In my opinion, I think it’s extremely good for developing countries, because they might not be able to get hold of Wi-Fi, and in some cases, they might not be able to afford data. Some people might need information on important things, it might even be a life threatening illness they need to cure, and browsing on Wikipedia for free, would definitely benefit them. Some may need to communicate with family, on the

other side of the world, and going on Facebook for free, would definitely benefit them too.

3. What other initiatives are taking place in developing countries, to encourage people to get online?

In India, Mothers are being targeted, as they’re being influenced by quotes such as: "internet moms connect well with their kids" and "internet moms make meals fun". This is inspiring them to become better mums, as they can connect with their children a lot better, and create and stronger bond between the two of them. With the other quote, “internet moms make meals fun”, this would also inspire them to expand their cooking knowledge, and make meal time more fun for them. If they see their children happy, they’ll be satisfied, so these quotes are definitely influencing them.

4. Do you agree with Zuckerberg's view that connectivity is a human right?

I agree with that, I understand the importance of human connectivity, because as humans, we can’t survive without socialising. We need to talk to people, meet new people and learn to communicate with new people. Some humans might have problems; such as mental health problems, and by talking and communicating with people, they can instantly feel better. However, in a way I disagree with that, because human right shouldn’t become a human right. There are a majority of humans, that don’t like communicating with one another, and making new friends. But overall, I agree with is regardless.

5. How does your internet behaviour differ from five years ago?

5 years ago, I used to use the internet for silly things, it wasn’t very necessary, but I used to go on it, as I was bored. I used to go on YouTube, and watch music videos and play games, I was still very young and immature, and so it was a big thing for me.

6. Many people now turn to the web for information on key services – are you among them?

Yes, and no. I don’t use the internet much often now, I don’t need to go on anything, because I don’t use any social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, twitter, snapchat etc. The only thing I use, is WhatsApp and Tumblr, so I need the Wi-Fi for those apps. However, the only time I’d properly use the internet, is when I’m doing work and researching information.