The impact of technology Module 2.4 1. The impact of technology Module 2.4 2.

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The impact of technologyModule 2.4

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The impact of technology

Module 2.4

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The impact of technology on the global community

How social networking contributes to the impact of ICT

How technology can benefit or harm society

Test and improve your knowledge

Content

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The impact of technology on the global community

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People communicate on a global scale

Work, business and competition take place on a global scale

The flow of information is difficult to control and restrict

Telecommuting is possible

Computer fraud takes place

Many people suffer from information overload

A few ways in which technology has an impact on the global community:

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Learn to read quickly and accurately and to identify the key points in what you are reading.

Learn to analyse and compare sources.

Take a disciplined and structured approach to dealing with information.

Don’t add to the problem by unnecessarily forwarding information to others.

How to cope with information overload

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How social networking contributes to the impact

of ICT

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They are free. They require users to register to be able to use

the services. They encourage people to get as many other

people to join as possible. They can make money by gathering information

about their users and selling that information, or by selling targeted advertising to marketing companies.

Social networking services

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Combination between a blog and Facebook.

MySpace has become an online community where musicians, film studios and celebrities, etc. communicate directly with their fans. New albums, tours, behind‑the‑scenes information, gossip and so on is shared.

MySpace

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Microblogging service.

Twitter allows people to send messages to their ‘followers’.

Each message is called a ‘tweet’.

You can follow a specific topic by searching for a ‘hash tag’.

Twitter

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Allows people to connect and to keep up to date with friends and family no matter where they are located in the world.

Users can also set up or join user groups. Businesses and celebrities can create ‘fan’

pages. Facebook is also trying to become the

default security provider for many websites or Internet services.

Facebook

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Second Life is an example of a virtual community.

MMORPG (Massively Multi‑Player Online Role Playing Game, e.g. World of Warcraft) where people log in and ‘become’ a character that they have created in a world that only exists online.

Main impact is as a form of entertainment.

Virtual communities

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Social networking service.

Competes with Facebook and Twitter.

Google+

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It tries to ‘crowd source’ funding for projects. You produce an idea for a

product. You create a presentation. You work out a business

plan. You offer rewards for

people who contribute to the project.

You have a limited time to reach your target level of funding.

KickStarter

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Acts like a virtual public pin board.

The ‘pin boards’ are themed so you can find one that interests you, or you can create your own.

Creative ideas and entertainment.

Pinterest

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Uses social networking to gather real‑time information about traffic, roads and points of interest that everyone can access and use.

Waze

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A service that helps you to track and meet your friends.

It works by allowing you to ‘check in’ to a physical place by using your smartphone.

Your friends can see where you are, so if you check into a coffee shop, the service will tell you if any of your friends have checked in nearby and you can easily arrange to meet.

Foursquare

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How technology can benefit or harm society

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Employment

New entrepreneurial opportunities and jobs are created by the IT sector.

Job losses and unemployment.

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ICT improves access to information and resources.

Higher education requirements – digital divide.

Education

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People are better able to record and communicate things that reflect their own culture so that their culture can be preserved or shared with the world.

Dilution of cultures towards a standard, western‑dominated ‘world culture’ occurs as people aspire to what seems to be new, modern and exciting, whilst they ignore their own cultures and languages.

Culture and languages

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People are able to ‘connect’ with others around the world.

Connectedness is ‘virtual’ and not real.

Individual ‘connectedness’

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Test and improve your knowledge

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Written module activity