1.0 Introduction
Before we can know about all the impact of information and communication technology, it is essential that we know what information and communication technology is exactly, and its important role in our daily lives. Today information and communication technology involves more than just computer literacy; it also takes into account how computers work and how these computers can further be used not just for information processing but also for communications and problem solving tasks as well.
Our world today has changed a great deal with the aid of information and communication technology. Things that were once done manually or by hand have now become computerized operating systems, which simply require a single click of a mouse to get a task completed. With the aid of ICT we are not only able to stream line our business processes but we are also able to get constant information in ‘real time’ that is up to the minute and up to date.
The significance of ICT can be seen from the fact that it has penetrated almost every aspect of our daily lives from business to leisure and even society. Today personal computer (PCs), cell phones, TV, radio, fax machines, pagers, email and internet have all not only become an integral part of our very culture but also play an essential role in our day to day activities.
With such a wide scope, let us have a definition of information and communication technologies.
Definition: Information and Communication Technologies can be defined as the generic term used to express the convergence of information technology, broadcasting and communications, e.g. Internet.
IMPACT OF ICT ON THE SOCIETY (Some advantages)
1.1 (a) The role of ICT in:
Education:
Either Students or teachers records processing and keeping.
As a computer aided instruction (CAI) and computer aided learning (CAL),
Used to access learning materials i.e. searching in internet.
Help in development of open universities (distance learning)
As a research tool e.g. to analyze data from experiment.
To assist education management
Industry and Engineering:
To design drawings for products using Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs e.g. airplanes, bridges, cars, buildings and electronic circuit boards.
To manufacture products by using Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM).
To plan and control major project.
To simulate – to predict in a real life situation from a model situation e.g. timing of traffic lights.
To control some operations in automobiles e.g. mixed of fuel and air enter the engine
A branch of a computer science called artificial intelligence uses programs that help to solve problems by applying human knowledge and experience e.g. in medicine and law.
Banking and Business:
To allow banker clerk and custom to find bank balances in an account
To help bankers to record money paid in and out.
To allow people to use automatic teller machine (ATM) in cash withdraw and transfer of funds between accounts.
To keep track of current prices of market stocks, bounds currency.
Creates an effective way of producing documents e.g. reports, brochures and cards
Military uses:
It can be use for planning and decision making.
It can be used for planners to stimulate wars.
It can be used it guide modern weapons such as missiles and field artillery.
In a Government:
It can be used for internal revenue services e.g. to provide reports for tax purposes.
It can be used for planning analysis, forecast, sampling, predictions etc.
It can be used for weather forecast
It can be used for law enforcement.
In Communication: (Telecommunication)
Communication has also become cheaper, quicker, and more efficient. We can now communicate with anyone around the globe by simply text messaging them or sending them an email for an almost instantaneous response. The internet has also opened up face to face direct communication from different parts of the world thanks to the helps of video conferencing.
Telephone switching (automatic routing and connections of calls) transmission of computer data via network and electronic mail.
Transportations connections; time table, scheduling times, road, airways, railways etc.