Are you suggesting that these people aren't being truthful about their need, or, are you saying it's amazing that internet access is so [relatively] cheap? Or... ?
Internet access costs less per month than a takeaway pizza in my country. Libraries and other community centres provide free access to computers with broadband internet.
One of the surprises for me when, some years ago, I found myself in a developing nation (with unstable power supplies and non-potable tap water) was that every street corner in the town I was staying in had a (hand painted) advert for an internet cafe. It wasn't cheap compared to food prices - but since then globally food prices seem to have gone up and internet prices gone down considerably.
I just wanted to express how bizarre this situation is but not imply anything about (possible) reasons. My first thought was like just terminate the internet contract, sell the phone or computer or whatever you are using and buy you 50 kg of rice. That would be even healthier than pizza!
But I decided not to phrase it this way because this is obviously a very simplistic view and the people on the internet will tell you that in full detail even if you are aware of it. They might have free access to internet. It might be a temporary situation and not be economical to sell and later buy back the computer. Corn is much cheaper than rice. You have to cook rice and that requires energy. Rice alone is not healthy. Maybe they just do this to get in contact with others not because of having no money for food. They might need the computer for work. They just got robbed late at night, no money left but they still have a phone.
Further, a single pizza is unlikely to make much difference to one's nutritional status. I see these sorts of things as closer to emotional support than life-saving interventions.
Hmm, these people could be making the more rational choice. Depending on what they do for money, internet access could provide a higher return than food.
Higher return than staying alive? (Ignoring the fact that they can possibly dual use the internet to get free stuff, especially food, making it really a rational choice.)
