The Effects of Using ICT
You can find examples of technology in every area of your life. From the moment the alarm clock rings to wake you up in the morning until you cut off the light to go to sleep in the evening, your lifestyle is being affected by technology. Technology increases our chance of survival in an ever-changing world. Technology has enabled Canadian culture to advance and do things that many only dream of doing. It has enabled us to communicate with people instantaneously, get around the world in less than a day, and replace body parts.
Social Effects of ICT:
The personal computer (PC) was developed in the early 1980s. Before this date, computers were huge, expensive machines that only a few, large businesses owned. Now PCs are found on almost every desk in every office, all over the world.
Because companies now have access to so much cheap, reliable computing power, they have changed the way they are organized and the way they operate. As a result, many people’s jobs have changed.
Many jobs have changed over the past 30 years. But overall, is this a good thing, or a bad thing? It depends who you ask of course - If someone has lost their job because the work is now being done by a computer, that person will probably see it as a bad thing!
But, on the whole, the computerisation of repetitive, menial tasks (such as working on a factory production line, or calculating endless financial results) has freed people to do more pleasant, less dangerous jobs.
There are downsides though. Many people can now access their office network from home via The Internet. This means they can work from home (remote working) which sounds pretty nice. However it often results in people working longer hours and missing out on home life.
Health Effects of ICT:
If we use a computer for many hours (as people often do at work), there are some health issues that might affect us:
(1) One health issue that can occur after using computers for a long time is eye-strain (tiredness of the eyes).
This is caused by looking at a monitor which is a constant distance away. The muscles that focus your eyes do not move, and so get tired and painful. Eye-strain can also cause headaches.
(2) Many people suffer from back and neck pain after working at a computer for a long time. This is usually due to them having a bad sitting posture.
(3) Any repetitive movement (same movement over and over again) can result in a health problem called repetitive strain injury (RSI).
Safety Issues with ICT:
You wouldn't imagine that using computers could be dangerous, but there are a few situations that can result in accidents:
(1) Computer equipment is often connected to lots of cables: power, network, etc. If these cables are laying on the floor, they can cause people to trip over them.
(2) If any liquids are spilled on electrical equipment, such a s a computer, it can result in damage to the equipment, or an electric shock to the user.
(3) Plugging too many power cables into a socket can result in the socket being overloaded, overheating, and a fire starting.
(4) Many items of computer equipment are very heavy: onitors, laser printers, etc. Heavy items can cause serious injury if they fall on people.
Viruses/Malware:
Malware is short for malicious software. Malware is the name given to any software that could harm a computer system, interfere with a user's data, or make the computer perform actions without the owner's knowledge or permission. Basically malware is software that you really don't want to have on your computer! People can end up with malware installed on their computer system in a variety of ways:
A computer virus is a piece of software that can 'infect' a computer (install itself) and copy itself to other computers, without the users knowledge or permission. Most computer viruses come with some kind of 'payload' - the malware that does something to your computer. For example, the virus might install some spyware (software that watches what you do with your computer), it might search your computer for credit card information, or it might install software that gives someone remote control of your computer (turning it into a 'zombie').
Copyright:
When someone creates an original piece of software, that person then holds something called the copyright for that software. (This is also true when people create books, films and songs.) Holding the copyright for software means that you have the protection of the law if anyone tries to steal your software. Under copyright law, people must not:
If someone breaks the copyright, they can be punished by fines or even by imprisonment. Illegally copying software is often referred to as software piracy.
Summary:
Impact of ICT on Society:
Positive Impact:
Negative Impact:
Social Effects of ICT:
The personal computer (PC) was developed in the early 1980s. Before this date, computers were huge, expensive machines that only a few, large businesses owned. Now PCs are found on almost every desk in every office, all over the world.
Because companies now have access to so much cheap, reliable computing power, they have changed the way they are organized and the way they operate. As a result, many people’s jobs have changed.
Many jobs have changed over the past 30 years. But overall, is this a good thing, or a bad thing? It depends who you ask of course - If someone has lost their job because the work is now being done by a computer, that person will probably see it as a bad thing!
But, on the whole, the computerisation of repetitive, menial tasks (such as working on a factory production line, or calculating endless financial results) has freed people to do more pleasant, less dangerous jobs.
There are downsides though. Many people can now access their office network from home via The Internet. This means they can work from home (remote working) which sounds pretty nice. However it often results in people working longer hours and missing out on home life.
Health Effects of ICT:
If we use a computer for many hours (as people often do at work), there are some health issues that might affect us:
(1) One health issue that can occur after using computers for a long time is eye-strain (tiredness of the eyes).
This is caused by looking at a monitor which is a constant distance away. The muscles that focus your eyes do not move, and so get tired and painful. Eye-strain can also cause headaches.
(2) Many people suffer from back and neck pain after working at a computer for a long time. This is usually due to them having a bad sitting posture.
(3) Any repetitive movement (same movement over and over again) can result in a health problem called repetitive strain injury (RSI).
Safety Issues with ICT:
You wouldn't imagine that using computers could be dangerous, but there are a few situations that can result in accidents:
(1) Computer equipment is often connected to lots of cables: power, network, etc. If these cables are laying on the floor, they can cause people to trip over them.
(2) If any liquids are spilled on electrical equipment, such a s a computer, it can result in damage to the equipment, or an electric shock to the user.
(3) Plugging too many power cables into a socket can result in the socket being overloaded, overheating, and a fire starting.
(4) Many items of computer equipment are very heavy: onitors, laser printers, etc. Heavy items can cause serious injury if they fall on people.
Viruses/Malware:
Malware is short for malicious software. Malware is the name given to any software that could harm a computer system, interfere with a user's data, or make the computer perform actions without the owner's knowledge or permission. Basically malware is software that you really don't want to have on your computer! People can end up with malware installed on their computer system in a variety of ways:
- Installing software that seems ok, but has malware hidden inside (know as a 'Trojan Horse').
- Having their computer hacked, and the software installed by the hacker.
- Visiting dodgy websites and clicking on infected links
- The computer being infected by a computer virus
A computer virus is a piece of software that can 'infect' a computer (install itself) and copy itself to other computers, without the users knowledge or permission. Most computer viruses come with some kind of 'payload' - the malware that does something to your computer. For example, the virus might install some spyware (software that watches what you do with your computer), it might search your computer for credit card information, or it might install software that gives someone remote control of your computer (turning it into a 'zombie').
Copyright:
When someone creates an original piece of software, that person then holds something called the copyright for that software. (This is also true when people create books, films and songs.) Holding the copyright for software means that you have the protection of the law if anyone tries to steal your software. Under copyright law, people must not:
- Copy the software for other people
- Lend the software to other people
- Rent the software to other people
- Install the software on awhen other users can access it (unless it is a special ‘network’ version)
If someone breaks the copyright, they can be punished by fines or even by imprisonment. Illegally copying software is often referred to as software piracy.
Summary:
Impact of ICT on Society:
Positive Impact:
- Faster communication speed. With the Internet, news or messages are sent via e-mail to anyone efficiently. With the capability of fiber optics connections on the Internet, any information can travel faster.
- Lower communication costs. With the Internet, we do not have to pay any basic services provided by in the Internet. Furthermore, the cost of the connection to the Internet is relatively cheap.
- People can share opinions and information through discussion groups and forums.
- Information can be stored and retrieved through the digital medium instead of paper (paperless environment).
- Information and communication can be borderless. People all around the world can be connect with each other.
Negative Impact:
- Borderless information at times can be negative because it encourages people to access inappropriate material on web sites. It can cause low moral values. It also can create problems such as gambling, identity theft and fraud.
- Computers can harm users if they use them frequently for long hours.