Values

My junior theme focused on how the U.S. is falling behind in the global tech revolution. All around the world, advancements are being made with biotechnology, smart devices, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and more. However, the U.S. is not leading the charge in these disciplines, as the United States is ranked 21st in the world for overall internet speed (Ookla). This lack of leadership in the tech revolution is caused by lack of net neutrality regulations and the subsequent monopolistic nature of internet service providers (ISPs). 

When first researching for my junior theme, I was looking solely into net neutrality. This is because I thought that the question of why America lacks net neutrality rules has an answer deeply rooted in the history of our country. I thought that just because Ajit Pai repealed them. But after looking into the issue for long enough, my opinion of favoring net neutrality did not change, and I realized that my question was pretty shallow. I decided to have just one block focus on net neutrality, and then shift my overarching research into this question: Why is America falling behind in the global tech revolution? A lot of us (including myself two months ago) have no idea what this means. This issue of the global tech revolution was explored by Susan Crawford, Harvard Law School professor, whose two books I have frequently cited as well as a book talk she gave on one of them. She devoted years of her life to writing Fiber, which showed how giant corporations use their tremendous power to hold back infrastructure improvements (such as added fiber optic cable networks) that, if they weren’t held back, would allow for unimaginable industries and innovations. The prospect of certain technology in the future could “radically transform health care, education, urban administration and services, agriculture, retail sales, and offices” (Crawford). Furthermore, many of us are oblivious to the monopolistic behavior of corporations that control cable and internet access. This was the most surprising information, because I was also oblivious to the fact that by refraining from competition and agreeing to large mergers, companies like Comcast feel that they have no reason to upgrade their services. This leads to slow internet speeds for high prices (or as high as consumers can handle), which many Americans consider just a part of life, while it is actually an effect of the cable industry monopolies. We must pass legislation ensuring net neutrality, break up large cable and internet service providers, and build more fiber optic cables across America. If we don’t, we will soon find ourselves decades behind other nations--our technology would be no match for other developed countries’ far superior technology.