When considering the countries with the highest quality of internet–specifically the United States–it makes one wonder if the territories without quick and easy access are somewhat more contented. Of course, less westernized nations like, say, Kazakhstan (which Borat obviously put on the map) are not exactly setting a barometer for happiness, however, places like Italy or France seem to possess a population with far more smiles on their faces–yet the internet connection is, in general, total shit. Internet.
In Italy, where there is constant access to things like Neapolitan pizza, lower priced Fendi items and the Mediterranean, it only makes sense that Italians wouldn’t be so preoccupied with the notion of staring at a screen all day. They’d rather enjoy the tangible things life has to offer than bother with the so-called instant gratification and entertainment of the internet. Why fuck with the internet when this is at your fingertips?
France, likewise, has plenty more to concern itself with than what the internet might have to offer them. Placated by a constant barrage of cigarettes and baguettes, the French have many other activities to keep them busy. Plus, there’s no need for embarrassing websites like eHarmony or match.com that force you to prostrate yourself for the sake of what you hope will become true romance. It also helps that the French are congenitally good-looking enough to meet and attract the opposite (or same) sex in person. And yeah, maybe Paris has some relatively decent internet access, but head to the south of France and you’ll find that no one is really bothered by not having it reliably. The Frenchies have cafes, among other things, to keep them occupied. No internet required.
Other parts of Western Europe, barring London, also appear to have a better disposition in spite of erratic internet availability. And yet, in the U.S., people tend to lose their goddamn mind without this entity at their constant disposal. While there may be no concrete correlation between happiness and internet access, it certainly seems to be leaning in that direction as the twenty-first century progresses.
