The Best is Yet to Be, or Not To Be? (NISHKA)
In 2009, the Australian government announced an ambitious project to provide super-fast fiber-based Internet to 93% of the population; in 2013, it revised the plan to reuse existing copper wire; in 2025, many Australians still have no (or slow) Internet.
Minister of communications, cyber safety and the arts Paul Fletcher declared the build complete, but admitted that 35,000 places were still unable to connect to the network.
However, itnews, an Australian news outlet, pointed out that over 230,000 places can’t connect at 25Mbps, which is just the bare minimum speed.
The project started in the mid-2000s, and in 2007, the government promised fast fiber internet.
NBN Co was created in 2009 but struggled, with only 350,000 homes connected by 2013.
Critics say the internet is still slow, needs expensive upgrades, and is worse than other countries.
First promise big things, then revise the promise to make them little things, then don’t finish them anyway. This isn’t (we hope) a description of the World Scholar’s Cup curriculum release process, but a pattern of behavior for governments all over the world. Discuss with your team: is it better to underpromise and overdeliver, or vice versa?
It’s better to underpromise and overdeliver to gain trust and credibility, which is extremely important as a government. If you promise doing something small but end up doing a lot more, everyone’s impressed, and people will believe you when you make future promises.
If you overpromise and underdeliver, especially as a government, you lose credibility. Nobody will believe you the next time you make a promise. Governments seem to do this all the time, following the pattern of big promises, tiny results, and everyone getting frustrated.
Don’t worry, Australia—you’re not alone. (More on loneliness later.) In Canada, a proposed high-speed rail network had its target speed slashed before being rebranded as a high frequency network.
In Canada, train delays are very common, as only 50% of Via Rail trains were on time in 2023.
Trains aren’t much faster than driving, as a 5-hour train ride would be only 30 minutes more if travelled by car.
Still, the tickets are crazy expensive with a round trip between Toronto and Montreal costing $300.
Canada is still the only G7 country without a high-speed rail, while other places like Japan, China, and France have had it for years.
The government keeps doing studies and research but never actually builds the rail because it would cost from $6 - $40 billion to construct.
So, politicians keep promising high-speed rail during elections, but it never actually happens when they’re in office.
The government is now focusing on “high-frequency rail” instead, which just means more trains and fewer delays, but the travel time will not reduce much.
In many developed countries, ambitious projects have gone out of fashion in favor of slow, incremental ones.
Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel-boring machine (used to excavate underground for projects, while minimizing surface disruption), got stuck under Seattle in 2013 after overheating.
It was supposed to dig a 2-mile underground highway as a part of a $2 billion plan, but after 4 months it stopped working causing huge delays & extra costs.
Megaprojects (projects over $1 billion) are common worldwide but they often go over their budget (around 90% of them) and take too long.
Governments, businesses and engineers love megaprojects because they bring fame, money, and new technology.
Even when they have problems, they rarely get canceled because so much money is already spent.
Another example – Pakistan’s Tarbela Dam took 8 extra years and 4 times the cost
Check out the mega projects below, as well as those from your own country, then discuss with your team: is this shift in approach justified? How might megaprojects (or their failure) affect the way people perceive progress? And are some countries more consistently successful at these projects?
Big Dig – A huge project in Boston that moved a highway underground to fix traffic, but it went way over budget and took years.
Channel Tunnel – A train tunnel under the English Channel that connects the UK and France, being fast, useful, and super long.
California High-Speed Rail – A planned train to link big California cities quickly, but it's been delayed a lot and is super expensive.
Sejong City – A modern city built to move some government offices out of Seoul and reduce overcrowding.
Hambantota – A port built to boost trade, but it didn’t do well, and now China controls it for 99 years.
NEOM – A super high-tech, futuristic city being built in the desert, with wild ideas like a straight-line city.
Khazar Islands – A failed plan to build fancy islands in the sea, which ran out of money and basically stopped.
Three Gorges Dam – The world’s biggest dam that makes tons of electricity but also caused environmental damage and relocations.
Hong Kong-Zhugai Bridge – A mega-bridge that links three cities across the sea, great for travel but very costly.
New Eurasia Land Bridge – A railway route that connects China to Europe for faster trade without needing ships.
Sometimes social distancing is the problem. In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a pressing global health threat.
WHO says loneliness is a global public health threat, just as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
An international commission on loneliness has been launched, which will run for 3 years and includes global leaders.
Health risks include higher chances of dementia and heart disease/stroke.
Loneliness can hurt school performance, lead to dropping out, and cause job dissatisfaction.
Explore how this concern varies around the world, then discuss with your team: do you agree that there is a “loneliness epidemic”—and, if so, how can it be treated?
A study looked at data from 113 countries and found that loneliness is a major global issue, and around 1 in 12 people may be lonely enough for it to harm their health.
Southeast Asia and Eastern Mediterranean had the highest loneliness rates, whereas Northern Europe had low loneliness.
This could be because of better healthcare/social support in Northern Europe.
Some countries have tried tackling the problem with technology—and none more so than Japan.
Loneliness is a big problem in Japan, especially for older people and those living alone, which is over 18 million adults, making them feel isolated or depressed.
Some people suffer from kodokushi which means dying alone and not being found for a long time.
Traditional family structures are changing, work culture is stressful, and younger people also struggle and don’t leave their homes for months/years (hikikomori).
Japan has started using robot companions like:
Paro – a robotic seal that acts like a real pet.
Pepper – a humanoid robot that leads group activities and interacts with people.
Aibo – a robotic dog that people love.
These robots help reduce loneliness, and are designed to act like friends.
Virtual characters like the anime-style Gatebox companion are made ofr younger people who feel isolated.
Explore efforts to “fix” loneliness in Japan and elsewhere, then discuss with your team: are they the sorts of solutions that more societies should adopt? What technologies would you design to achieve the same aims?
Japan developed care robots like Robear and Pepper to help with tis aging population, which were expected to reduce care work and be a cheaper solution than hiring more immigrants/human workers.
In reality, few care facilities actually use robots, and when they do, the robots often end up being unused or stored away as they are too slow, hard to use, or make staff jobs harder instead of easier.
They added more work like maintenance, setup, and monitoring, reducing real human interaction.
In 2021, the UN Development Programme found that living conditions in 90% of the world's countries had declined for the second year in a row—possibly contributing to declining birth rates.
In 2021, living standards dropped in 90% of countries according to the UN, and the HDI fell globally for the second year in a row.
Leading causes are COVID, climate change, and the war in Ukraine.
These made it harder for countries to develop, erasing five years of progress in health, education, and income.
The cost of living crisis is becoming a permanent, structural part os society, not just a phase and low-income households are hardest hit.
Wage growth isn’t keeping up with inflation, especially in areas like housing, healthcare, and education.
Meta Crisis – rising inequality, job loss due to AI, climate-driven costs, and digital access gaps.
Economic impacts fall hardest on vulnerable communities, and real solutions require international cooperation and policies.
Discuss with your team: is this decline irreversible or will the world’s population begin to boom again? Should we want it to?
Fertility rates are falling globally, leading to long-term population decline.
Major economies could lose 20-50% of their population by 2100.
Seniors will dominate global consumption, making up 25% of it by 2050.
Retirement systems and current economic models are unsustainable, with rising gaps between seniors’ consumption and income.
During the Covid pandemic, podcasts exploded in popularity. Their hosts (or at least their subtly-enhanced voices) became many people’s closest friends in a solitary time.
Many people feel like podcasters are their real friends, especially during the COVID pandemic.
This is an example of a parasocial interaction – a one-sided emotional connect with media figures.
The rise in podcasts filled social gaps and made people feel less alone.
They often build a strong bond with listeners by being relatable, authentic, and consistent.
These “friendships” feel real because they come through the same device and voice as actual friends.
Discuss with your team: are podcasts meaningfully different from old-fashioned radio broadcasts in their impact on society, and will their impact continue? In other words, how dated will this bullet seem, ten years from now?)
Speaking of bullets, the man who eventually assassinated American President James Garfield, Charles Guiteau, was certain they had a close personal connection (which, of course, Garfield never knew about.) The Internet has driven a surge in these one-sided “parasocial” relationships.
Loneliness has doubled in the past 50 years, despite us being more digitally connected than ever.
Studies link heavy social media use to anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and even addiction-like brain activity.
Social comparison + FOMO can lead to lowered self-esteem and trust.
Cyberbullying can affect safety and contribute to loneliness.
However, social media can also help introverts connect, boost school performance when used for studying, and provide support for people struggling with mental health.
Algorithms on these platforms are designed to boost engagement and view time, even if the content is harmful or raises false hopes.
Social media is addictive because it gives users random rewards, triggering dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical.
Constant scrolling can cause people to compare themselves to others, which lowers self-esteem and may lead to cyberbullying.
Filters that change appearances can lead to body image issues and eating disorders.
Goldilocks rule – using social media in moderation (not too much or too little)
Experts are working with companies like TikTok and Pinterest to design apps that promote kindness.
Explore how social media also affects the health of adults and seniors, then discuss with your team: who should be held responsible when an algorithm promotes harmful content? Could you design an algorithm to craft a healthier, happier society—and would it be successful?
Study shows social media linked to depression in adults too, not just teens.
Over 5,000 adults (avg age 56) tracked during the pandemic.
Users of Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook reported more depressive symptoms.
Age matters: under 35 → Facebook linked to depression; over 35 → TikTok/Snapchat.
Study ruled out other causes like lack of social support.
Constant comparison + doomscrolling may play a role.
A nightclub shooting in Istanbul led to a lawsuit against social media companies for facilitating ISIS recruitment.
The Supreme Court ruled that companies aren't liable under Section 230 without proof of explicit support for terrorism.
Section 230 protects platforms from being treated as publishers of user content.
Algorithms can amplify hate speech and create echo chambers.
The rulings grant global immunity for platforms regarding human rights abuses.
There's a need for updated regulations to hold companies accountable.
Solutions require a mix of technology, legal reforms, and user control.
How often do you pick up your phone to check a fact or answer a question during a meal with friends or family? Can you imagine living in a world where things just—stay mysterious, and where you have no idea what is happening a thousand miles away? Researchers have found that the oversaturation of news, especially of negative stories, leads to constant stress and a skewed worldview, especially when they contain violent images and videos. Discuss with your team: to protect people’s mental health, should the government (or others) limit the amount of information we can consume?
Young adults face anxiety from news, and terms like "doomscrolling" and "headline anxiety" describe this stress.
Frequent news consumption increases emotional distress, which can be solved by limiting media, turning off notifications, and engaging in proactive activities.
Research indicates that news consumption significantly impacts mental health, sometimes more than direct experiences of traumatic events.
A study found that individuals consuming extensive news coverage after incidents, like the Boston Marathon bombings, reported higher stress levels than those directly involved.
The "negativity bias" leads people to focus more on negative news, skewing their perception of reality and contributing to a pessimistic outlook on life.
News framing can influence how risks are perceived, affecting decisions such as travel and health-related behaviors.
Exposure to sensationalized news can lead to increased anxiety and stress, with lasting effects on physical health, including cardiovascular issues.
The portrayal of crises in media can infiltrate dreams, leading to heightened anxiety and fear.
Continuous exposure to distressing news can create a cycle of worry and unhealthy coping mechanisms, prompting individuals to seek social media breaks or reduce news consumption.
CEOs of major social media companies are facing scrutiny over the risks their platforms pose to children, including exposure to inappropriate content.
Parents are concerned about the impact of adult-only sexual content and violent media on children and vulnerable adults.
Instant access to graphic videos of violence from around the world has become common, raising concerns about media-induced trauma.
Exposure to traumatic media can lead to severe distress, anxiety, and even vicarious trauma, particularly for those with existing mental health issues.
Research indicates that repeated exposure to violent images can produce symptoms similar to PTSD, affecting millions of viewers.
There is a call for social media platforms to implement age checks and content warnings to protect users from harmful material.
Users are encouraged to be mindful of their media consumption and to engage in conversations about the potential risks, especially with children.