We spend so much of our time online that it's easy to forget that there are still plenty of people who aren't connected. As the world continues to wire itself for the Net, should access be considered a right?

Curiosity contributor Susan Sherwood found some good arguments for the Internet to be considered a necessary tool in modern society.

News flash: the Internet is huge and growing. It has 1.6 billion users worldwide and represents $2.3 trillion in the G-20 economies. In four years, those figures will likely almost double [source: BCG Perspectives]. It’s used for communication, socialization, business, information dissemination, employment, education, government services -- the list goes on and on. Clearly, when people aren’t connected, they’re missing out. Are they missing enough that it is a violation of their rights? How enmeshed in our lives must the Internet be for it to be considered a necessity rather than a convenience?

Let’s first look at what is meant by "right." As a starting point, consider the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations, which states, "“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." Everyone is specified to include all people worldwide, without exception. Further clarification bans discrimination, slavery, torture and cruel punishment. The document promotes privacy, consensual marriage, freedom of travel, property ownership, work opportunities, leisure time and participation in government. Access to basic health care, housing, food, education and social services should be available. Freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, assembly and expression are included, and all should have access to a fair and impartial legal system based on the presumption of innocence.

Wow. That’s an inclusive document. Where does technology fit in? When considered in light of these basic human rights, technology is a tremendous tool. For instance, you can list and answer job postings, connect with social services and health care, locate housing and debate issues. Each could be done offline, but the connection simplifies matters significantly.

The problem with Internet access is predominately based on economics: The more money you have, the more likely you are to be connected. A 2012 report from the Center for Public Integrity found that in Mississippi, the poorest state in the U.S. (median household income $36,850), only 35 percent of households are subscribed to an Internet provider. Meanwhile, in the wealthiest state, New Hampshire (median income $66,303), 70 percent of households have a broadband connection. Clearly, some people are missing the convenience and utility of home Internet access. Still, people find ways to log on: Even in Mississippi, 79 percent of households had someone using the Internet [source: Center for Public Integrity]. Libraries, schools and work often provide outlets if people want to go online for everyday activities.

But what if the technology is needed? When the human rights concerns are safety and freedom, there’s recent evidence that the Internet can support the struggle in a manner that can’t be equaled without it. So much so, in fact, that the United Nations issued a 2011 report calling for virtually unrestricted Internet flow, prompted by widespread use of social media during the Arab Spring uprisings.

According to a report from the Dubai School of Government, 90 percent of protestors in Egypt and Tunisia used Facebook to spread word of demonstrations. These calls for action were successful, too: Only one did not draw enough participants for a demonstration. About the same percent of people were obtaining their daily news from social media. Twitter was exceptionally busy. During the first three months of 2011, the hashtag "Egypt" appeared 1.4 million times, and the "Jan25" Tahrir Square protests had nearly as many tweets. And though the governments did attempt to block Internet service, more than half of the Egyptians and Tunisians surveyed stated that the interference only served to further motivate the protestors.

The Internet is a useful tool for daily life in many places around the globe. More importantly, it’s becoming a forum for human rights. That alone can make the argument for it to be a right in and of itself. Without social media, how long would it have taken to enact the real changes that resulted from the Arab Spring?