Internet of Things

PRO CASE

My partner and I stand in firm affirmation of the resolved that, “On balance, the benefits of the Internet of Things outweigh the harms of decreased personal privacy.” Before offering our contentions, we provide the following terms for clarification purposes:

Internet of Things: All devices connected to the internet

Personal Privacy: the ability to be able to control what personal information you send out over the Internet

Observation #1: Due to the use of the phrase “on balance” in the resolution, this debate should be weighed on a cost-benefit analysis.

Observation #2: In this debate, we will recognize the Internet of Things as the IoT.

Contention #1: Medical Technology

The use of the Internet of Things integrated into the medical field yields extremely positive results, not simply in one area, but across a whole platform of areas of the current healthcare system. The TATA Consultancy Services reports how “recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that almost 50% of all American adults live with a chronic condition. Today, chronic care has many shortcomings, and there is an urgent need to transform healthcare from a reactive model (reacting when a patient is sick), to a proactive one (keeping the patient healthy)” What we see is that IoT bridges this gap through the use of devices that monitor a patient’s physiological conditions (such as blood pressure for hypertensive patients, blood glucose levels and weight for diabetics, and so on), ideally modifying care to accommodate for the need of the patient. Furthermore, as McKinsey Global Institute points out “Integration of IoT in the healthcare profession could have an economic impact up to $1.6 trillion dollars per year in 2025. These benefits exist both on a large scale and on a small scale. The Nova Law Review corroborates how “In the healthcare industry, remote monitoring of patients over the Internet estimated to reduce hospital visits by forty percent and cost per visit by $1800 for implantable medical devices” directly benefitting every individual having access to IoT devices.

Contention #2: Economic Benefits

Subpoint A.) Global Benefits

With the network of the Internet of Things growing each and every day, the direct benefit to the economy is one of, if not the strongest benefits from the Internet of Things. As Forbes reports, “The “Industrial Internet” has the potential to add $10 to $15 trillion to global GDP over the next 20 years.” (CB-139) The International Data Corporation forecasts that, “the worldwide market