Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Social Impact

It has altered people’s ability to access several features of normal life with increasing ease. For example food and other goods can be ordered without even leaving the home, as well as finding information without the traditional need to visit a library or a specialist in a certain area of expertise. It can also lead to negative behaviours, such as downloading music and other files illegally, regardless of if they are appropriate or not, this is because it is illegal to download music without consent of the owner, but people still illegally download them for free.
The effects on the community are an increased ability to communicate with outside entities, such as companies to bring extra supplies or other necessities to the area. It also improves access to educartional tools that would otherwise be unaccessable, for example detailed documents contianing information on how to grow crops and medical information.

Digital Divide

The Digital Divide is the spectrum which shows how, whilst IT technology has brought immense benefit, has left many of the most vulnerable without any assistance. It is in essence the same as the division of wealth (1st world countries, 3rd world divide). It is more specialised than money as it only involves the shared use of IT systems among the human population, which necessitates the use of infrastructure, education and other factors to be effective.

IT provides immense benefits to those it is provided to, by allowing access to communications, information, assistance and more efficient work practices, which is by no means a small boost, it is one of the most advancing abilities that can be provided.