Connectivity the new Social Status

I think today I will go in a completely different direction than some sort of political rant.

Today I read a profound statement and made me draw a hypothesis; Social Status is slowly becoming determined by connectivity, access to communication technology, rather than material wealth. When I speak of social status I mean the honor or prestige attached to one’s position in society. My thought has raised questions, such as why is connectivity influencing social status? What is so unique about connectivity that it can influence one’s social status?

One of the things I see as unique about connectivity is the ability to access information as well as disseminate it. Often information has been described as power, those who posses it have power over those who do not. Those who control access to information have the greatest amount of power, the gate-keepers can allow and deny anyone access to knowledge. In this respect connectivity has a profound impact on society as a whole, and gives the control a great deal of prestige in society. Simply having access to connectivity is not enough to change your social status, one must be able to utilize it, and if you are unable to utilize it you might as well not have access to it.

Why is connectivity becoming so important? I see it as becoming important because our world is becoming smaller with respect to the speed information travels. 71 days ago in Chile miners were trapped underground, yesterday and today we watched live as they were pulled out of the ground. I was so connected in such a way I could chose what language I heard as the miners were rescued. What in the not so distant past I would have had to wait at least a day to see the recorded images, today very little stops me from seeing actions as they occur on the other side of the world. I was only the receiving side of this access, I can also be on the giving side, If I am able to access and use communication I can send to you my reader my ideas. Ideas that I hope you go forth and discuss with your friends and turn some of ideas into a meme.

If social status is being determined by connectivity do we risk another Victorian Era, where connectivity is concentrated in the hands of a few and the rest must fight for what is left? Or do you think I am off my mark, do you think that connectivity is never going to influence social status; connectivity is not a part of social stratification? Tell me what you think, talk with your friends, your spouse your kids and your co-workers lets communicate and see what the world thinks?