The Impact of ICT on Society

a) FASTER COMMUNICATION SPEED

* In the past it took a long time for any news or messages to be send.Now with the Internet,news or messages are sent via e-mail to friends,business partness or to anyone effectively.With the capability of bandwith,broadband and connection speed on the Internet,any information can travel fast and at instant.It saves time and is inexpensive.

b) LOWER COMMUNICATION COST

* Allows people to have access to large amounts of data at a very low cost.We do not have to pay for any basic services provided by the Internet.The cost of connection to the internet is cheap.

c) RELIABLE MODE OF COMMUNICATION

* Computers are reliable.With the Internet,information could be accessed and retrieved from anywhere and at anytime.

d) EFFECTIVE SHARING OF INFORMATION

* People can share and exchange opinions,news and information through discussion groups and mailing list and forums on the Internet.This enable knowledge sharing which will contribute to the development of a knowledge based society.

e) PAPERLESS ENVIRONMENT

* ICT technology has created the term paperless environment.This term means information can be stored and retrieved through the digital medium instead of paper.Online communication via email, online chat and instant messages also helps in creating the paperless environment.

f) BORDERLESS COMMUNICATION

* Internet offers fast information retrieval, interactivity, accessibility and versatility. It has become a borderless sources for services and information. Through the Internet, information and communication can be borderless.

g) SOCIAL PROBLEMS

* There are some negative effects of ICT. It has created social problems in the society. Nowadays, people tend to choose online communication rather than having real time conversations. People tend to become more individualistic and introvert.

Another negative effect of ICT is :

• fraud

• identity theft

• Pornography

• Hacking

This will result a moral decedent and generate threads to the society.

h) HEALTH PROBLEMS

* A computer may harm users if they use it for long hours frequently. Computer users are also exposed to bad posture, eyestrain, physical and mental stress. In order to solve the health problems, an ergonomic environment can be introduced. For example, an ergonomic chair can reduces back strain and a screen filter is used to minimize eye strain.