Implications Of Ict

10 Pages 2408 Words

I.C.T plays an important role in todays society, businesses rely on computers
and communication networks to operate efficiantly, everyday people keep in
touch with families from great distances, information has been made more
accessable with the growth of the internet. The information age is here and its
use is growing at an alarming rate, computers are becoming smaller, faster,
and more powerful than before, machines are replacing humans in the
workplace, business meetings are being held over the internet and not in
person. In this paper i will discuss the social, ethical and legal implications of
I.C.T.

Social Implications: At Work

The introduction of information technology has caused some unemployment,
for example:
· Computer-controlled warehouses need only a handful of staff to operate them.
· Computer-controlled robots are now common on production lines, replacing
human workers.
· The old skills of workers in the printing industry are now out-of-date.
· Some jobs have disappeared as they can now be done automatically e.g.
checking football pools coupons, marking multiple choice exam papers.
However, it is fair to say that the development of information technology has
led to many new jobs such as computer technicians, programmers web
designers and systems analysts.
It is more likely to have changed someone's work rather than led to them
losing their job. This probably meant that people have had to be retrained to
use modern technology:
· Secretaries now use word-processors and not typewriters.
· Travel agents book holidays by computer, not by phone or letter.
· Telephone banking has meant that many bank staff now work by phone in
front of a computer, instead of being behind a counter.
· De-skilling has taken place. Some jobs which needed a high level of skill in
the past can now be done more easily. For example, print workers today can
use DTP software to lay out...