Impact of Technology on Society: Socio-Cultural and Economic Shifts

Characteristics of the Current Technological Society

Socio-Cultural:

• Continuing advances in worldwide information distribution networks.
• Pervasiveness of mass media and the internet.
• New patterns for social relations.
• More information exchange between the state and citizens.
• Integration and acceptance of the "technological imperative."
• Megacities.
• Low birth rates (in developed countries).
• New models of family groups.
• Greater presence of women in the workforce.
• Need for "knowing how to learn" and permanent training.
• Relativism in ideology and reduced religiosity.
• Great advances in medicine.

Socio-Economic:

• Growing inequality in developing countries.
• Increased mobility.
• Economic globalization and secure transport.
• Rapid and continuous changes in economic activities.
• Tendency towards organizations in networks.
• Use of new technologies in almost all human activities.
• Increase in activities that are done remotely.
• Growing value of information and knowledge.
• Service sector growth in the economy.
• Consolidation of economic neoliberalism.
• Profound changes in the workforce.
• Increased unemployment and social exclusion.
• Increasing emigration from poorer countries to richer ones.
• Awareness of environmental problems.
• Consolidation of the "welfare state."

5 Major Obstacles Limiting the Expansion of ICT

ICT (Information and Communication Technologies): The set of technological advances that provide us with information technology, telecommunications, and audiovisual technologies, including developments related to computers, the internet, telephony, mass media, multimedia, and virtual reality. These technologies primarily provide us with information, tools for processing it, and technical communication channels.

1. Technical Issues

   Incompatibilities between different computer types and operating systems, limited bandwidth available for the internet, etc.

2. Lack of Training

   The need for knowledge and skills that everyone should learn, including the necessary skills and attitudes for using these new tools.

3. Security Problems

   Circumstances and risks of unauthorized access to company computers connected to the internet, potential theft of credit card codes when shopping in virtual stores, slowing the expansion of electronic commerce and greater use of online economic opportunities.

4. Economic Barriers

   Despite the progressive decrease in the cost of equipment and software, their price is still prohibitive for many families. Furthermore, their rapid obsolescence necessitates the renewal of hardware and software every four or five years.

5. Cultural Barriers

   The dominant language, English, in which many references and information on the internet are found, is unknown to many people.

7 Main Contributions of ICT to Society

• Easy Access to All Information

  On any subject and in any format, especially through television and the internet, but also through CD-ROM and DVD. Information is the raw material we need to create knowledge with which to confront the problems presented daily at work, at home, and in reflection.

• Instruments for All Types of Data Processing

  Computer systems composed of computers, peripherals, and software enable us to process any data quickly and reliably.

• Instant Communication Channels

  Synchronous and asynchronous, to disseminate information and contact any person or institution in the world.

• Storage of Large Amounts of Information

  In small, easily portable media.

• Automation of Tasks

  By scheduling the activities that we want computers to perform.

• Interactivity

  Computers allow us to interact with management programs, video games, etc. This interaction is a consequence of computers being programmable machines, making it possible to define their behavior by determining the answers to be given to the different actions that users make.

• Homogenization of Codes

  Used for recording information through the digitization of all kinds of information: textual, aural, visual, and iconic.

• Cognitive Instrument

  That enhances our mental capacities and enables the development of new ways of thinking.