The Digital Age and ICT

• The internet and telecommunications greatly influenced how people connected and shared data in the 1990s.
• Digital systems comprise electronic tools and systems for data creation, storage, and processing.
• Digital technology enhances productivity, communication, collaboration, and information access.

Digital Age (Information Age)

• It involves the introduction of computers and the internet including the shift from traditional industry to computerization and AI.
• The digital age enables fast and accessible communication of information.
• It is characterized by the automation of household chores and jobs.
• Mobile phones have broad applications in education, entertainment, and employment.

ICT and Social Change

• Information Communications Technology is a collection of related technologies for accessing, processing, and sharing information.
• ICT uses electronic networks and various technical protocols.
• ICTs have spurred technological innovation, knowledge societies, and blurred lines between information, communication, and media.

Social Development

• Development depends on information access.
• ICTs facilitate information flow, empowering marginalized communities socially, economically, educationally, and politically.
• Despite ICT's potential, its impact on grassroots development has been limited.
• The Internet, WWW, mobile phones, digital television, and new electronic devices are creating new opportunities.
• These developments transform how people live, work, learn, and communicate, offering strategic, social, and economic benefits globally.
• M-commerce enables financial inclusion and instant connectivity.

Social Change

• It involves cultural and social transformations over time and is not static, social, political, economic, and cultural shifts constantly occur.
• Social transformations from ICTs depend on organizational and individual decisions.
• To gain acceptance of ICTs, their functionalities must be understood.

Entertainment

• New technologies are constantly revolutionizing the entertainment industry.
• Digital broadcasting has transformed TV and radio.
• Cinema is accessible at home via streaming apps.
• Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram provide entertainment.
• Computer gaming significantly influenced graphical interface development.
• Technology drives music production and distribution changes.

Business

• ICT significantly impacts business, enabling instant knowledge sharing and low-cost online setups.
• ICT maturity correlates with economic growth.
• ICT increases business productivity through social media marketing and websites for customer service.
• Online platforms facilitate transactions and communication.
• ICT infrastructure makes social impact affordable and scalable, connecting local communities.

Education

• ICT transforms education for teachers, trainers, learners, researchers, and enhances information access.
• ICT supports student access, open learning, and student autonomy.
• ICT assists teachers, explains concepts, fosters analytical thinking and interdisciplinarity, and networks learners with experts.
• It also guides and mentors students with customized instructions.
• Digital learning utilizes multimedia for teaching, crucial for early, slow, and differently-abled learners.
• Virtual classrooms extend formal education through physical settings.
• ICT addresses mobile learning needs by providing space and flexibility, making education accessible regardless of barriers.
• It helps distant learners, working individuals, and differently-abled students.
• Digital resources in classrooms prepare students for a digital society and economy.
• Digital tech can provide a wider range of resources.
• There are mixed results on computer-assisted learning on other learning outcomes.
• Computer-assisted learning has positive effects in science and math.

Jobs and Earnings

• Employment provides income security, structure, social contact, purpose, and skill use.
• Digital transformation impacts labor markets significantly.
• Digitalization yields new job opportunities in new industries, with online job search tools.
• The digital economy changes work nature, reducing physical demands but increasing emotional strain.
• New jobs in ICT and other sectors are becoming available.
• Despite fears of automation, there's little evidence of net job loss.
• Technological progress may contribute to job creation because efficiency gains may induce creation within industries by expanding the market.
• Productivity increases can lead to higher demand economy-wide.
• Digital technologies may destroy jobs at risk of automation
• Automation's impact is observed with middle-skill jobs being replaced by high-skill and low-skill jobs.
• Concerns about automation are warranted
• Estimates of automation's impact rely on experts' predictions.
• AI may threaten tasks previously considered out of reach for machines.
• Automation may affect laborers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport, and assemblers.
• Teaching professionals, health professionals, and personal care workers are less likely to lose their job to a machine.
• Algorithms are also able to replace human actions

Teleworking

• Teleworking enables time-saving and work-life balance.
• Teleworkers have higher job satisfaction and report reduced commuting, time flexibility, and better work-life balance.

Health

• Digitalization affects health through new risks and impacts on healthcare delivery.
• Health risks include mental health issues from technology overuse and decreased physical activity.
• Healthcare delivery is affected by electronic records, new treatments, tele-care, and teleconsultation.
• Data protection is crucial when using medical data.
• The location of care is affected by digital innovations.
• The effects of changes on healthcare delivery of health inequalities are complex and not well documented.
• Screen time and mobile phone use may have negative effects on mental health.
• Internet use has been linked to addiction, with children spending more time online.
• Social media checks are frequent among the younger generation.
• Smartphones have broadened the risks of digital technology use.
• The internet triggers neurological processes similar to addictive substances.
• Neurochemicals are released and receptors deteriorate over time.
• There is a direct link between internet use and cases of depression and anxiety.
• This relationship is bi-directional because people with these are more likely to spend time online.

Technology theories

• Technological Determinism assumes technology shapes culture, values, and social structures.
• Winner claims humans adapt to the surrounds of technology.

McLuhan states

• The technology used as a communication channel is more important than the content.
• The invention of the stirrup, a foot support for horse-riders, enabled armored knights to fight on horseback.
• This invention led to the development of feudal societies

Social Constructivism

• It asserts humans play a primary role in shaping technology.
• Curiosity and efficiency concerns drive technology creation.

Technological change

• It drives technical knowledge in production and increases labor, capital, and production factors.
• Technological progress creates skills, methods, and material uses.
• Technology wrestles power from nature and strengthens human facilities.
• The willingness and desire of the community should be able to modify their social, political and administrative institutions
• J. P. Dewhurts consider change in the production process of material and human skills.

Process of Technological Change

• It develops new goods and production techniques.
• Technical knowledge develops at a lower cost of production.
• It has three stages including formulation of scientific principles, applications of those principles, and commercial exploitation with innovation.
• Schumpeter distinguishes invention from innovation, that science is commercialized that originates from scientific advancement.