Understanding the “Net”

This past week, Professor Jeff Prince from Indiana University discussed a topic in which we often don’t think about deeply, but we utilize in our daily lives religiously: the Internet. I thought it was interesting how Professor Prince shared his research on the development of the internet and the future growth and implications it will have on the market.

The internet is often caught in this constant debate in regards to free market and free regulation. Many argue that current regulation serves as a barrier for large companies who would take over the free market of the internet. Professor Prince talked about how moving away from net neutrality could actually serve as a benefit for both businesses and consumers by lowering prices because of increased competition.

I’ve never really thought about putting the internet in the perspective of the economy and the markets so it was interesting to hear that side of the story. I think it would be interesting if I could learn more about this topic and understand the concerns behind net neutrality as well as the benefits of ending it. Seeing how reliant we are on the internet throughout our daily lives today makes me hesitant to end net neutrality because so many parties could attempt to abuse and take advantage of it, but I think one would first have to examine the real costs and benefits of doing so first.

2 thoughts on “Understanding the “Net”

  1. Hi Hannah,
    At times, it seems as if the internet, and new digital technology is general, is destructive. I’m actually surprised to read that Jeff Prince is an advocate for monopolizing the internet. I think his point misses the entire point of the internet. It is a way to connect people to one another, and removing net neutrality opens the doors and gives rise for increased knowledge gap, leading to greater inequality in society.

    • Hi Adora, you bring up a really good point about inequality and the internet. I think too often people have rosy depictions of how things will unfold and do not anticipate how policy changes will work to exacerbate inequality.