The Internet’s Hierarchy of Needs
Summary: In this post, I look at parallels between Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Internet, which could be said to have its own hierarchy of needs. I’ve developed a draft hierarchy that can be used to explore this model.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
In the middle of the 20th century, Abraham Maslow developed the Hierarchy of Needs, a framework that suggested a linear progression of human needs, each of which must be filled before a person could move on to the next. As you filled each need, it became unimportant, and the subsequent need took its place.
If you look closely at this hierarchy, courtesy of businessballs.com, you will see that the progression is exceedingly logical. If someone has no food and no shelter, that will be the most pressing need. Someone is continually afraid for his or her safety will focus more on remaining secure than on self-esteem.
The Internet Hierarchy of Needs
The Internet follows a hierarchy similar to Maslow’s. There are basic needs that must be fed before higher needs can be addressed. If we don’t have computers connected to the Web, if we don’t have any documents online, if those documents can’t be searched and indexed in their entirety and link to each other, then it’s futile to begin a conversation about the Semantic Web.
I’ve drafted my own version of this Hierarchy: the Internet Hierarchy of Needs. I hope this will serve as a starting point for a discussion about how the Internet can fulfill its potential as a tool for serving humanity.
Please forward this to anyone you think might find this interesting. Please also feel free to offer any suggestions in the comments about the order and content of this hierarchy. I know that, collaboratively, we can develop this into a framework that is highly useful and reflective of the actual Internet.
Update: This post has been further elaborated in a series: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5
December 12th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Hi Kaila,
I like this model especially the final layer. It’s important to keep asking ourselves why we use the internet and what can it do for us. The idea that it can help us self actualize is exciting. Could the internet be the gateway to a higher level of personal and global consciousness.
I think it’s possible.
Great post.
Raf
December 13th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Thanks, Raf! It’s so easy in everything we do to become mechanistic and habit-driven, and lose sight of our greatest potential. Let’s help make sure it doesn’t happen to the Internet!
January 8th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Hey, like the idea.
I connect with your nuances, but “Conectivity”"Semantic” and “Organization” don’t seem to come together nicely.
Here’s my take at it, using the same ideas as you but with a twist: (read top-down)
Appropriation
Use
Flow
Reliability
Existence
Unfortunately, I don’t think this model is able to demonstrate that the Internet allows for personal and therefore human growth, although I desperately believe it as well. I do think that the model shows how much the Internet is human, proof being that, well, we can maybe model it like Maslow modeled us.
PS: Happy 2008. Long live the web and what’s beneath it
January 8th, 2008 at 7:17 am
Hi Kaila,
interesting, indeed. Have you read this study by Communispace?
http://www.communispace.com/research/abstract/?Type=All%20About%20Communities&Id=38
“Fast forward Maslow and his famous hierarchy of human needs”
January 8th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Last July, I posted on how software is used to satisfy Maslow’s higher need levels.
http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2007/07/16/needs-must-social-software-and-the-sme/
January 8th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Hi Kaila,
That’s an interesting idea, although I have a couple of suggestions. The first two levels seem to me to as if they could combine into one - the existence of Infrastructure. The second I would then refer to as Access, which would mean the seamless flow of data at speeds sufficient to serve needs, with open access to data.
From that point, I’m fine with the idea of Semantics (but we shouldn’t restrict this to a discussion about the semantic web, in case it was going that way…), although I’m not convinced that once we extract meaning we are able to jump straight to Actualization. Another level seems to be missing, perhaps to do with the disappearance of the technology into the background, to the point where it becomes a part of our society without us having to think about it.
J.
January 8th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
@als and Jon, thanks for your comments and suggestions. I’d be interested to hear a bit more about what you mean by some of the terms, particularly ‘Flow’ and ‘Existence’. I think that the potential stumbling block here is the transition from Internet to person—the base need level is what the Internet needs to exist, while the highest level relates to its purpose as a tool to enable the expression of human potential. Hmm…
@gis, thanks for flagging that. I had commented on it here.
@David, yours was a very interesting post! I loved the comment thread, especially where people spoke about software that aimed at fulfilling Level 5 needs (which is, of course, precisely what VortexDNA aims at). I’d love to chat with you more to see where we can take this.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Just finding you, but thinking here about the pianist or other non-ether type targets.
The life of the mind is one thing, but it takes hands to make a good soup, and conversations
to heal.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Kaila,
Thanks for the reference form MediaPost.
this is great!