Social-economic Impact of ICTs in Modern Society
In the recent past, ICT has become integrated into almost every aspect of our lives and in future it will be mandatory for professionals in all areas to possess computer skills (Heathcote, 7). Overall, ICT has improved efficiency in various aspects of our lives and in the workplace it has become a measure of competitiveness. The efficiency has been led to increased profits in businesses by reducing the cost of production. Information technology has also made it easier for people to share information. This has mainly benefited the education sector, businesses and people that need to maintain contact over long distances (Susheel 12). Although ICT has been beneficial on these fronts, it has also
For instance, many companies are now outsourcing labor from freelance experts from all over the world. This approach has had three major benefits: availability of labor a cheaper rates, filling voids in areas of expertise that have a low number of experts locally, and the difference in time zones has allowed for important projects to be worked on around the clock. Thus, technology is being used to create a fine division of labor among states and countries and this offsets the relative shortage for different skills in the various countries (Hogos 29). Technology also helps the businesses to keep reliable records of their finances and the accurate records protect the company from embezzlement and other financial malice (Susheel
Various education systems have assimilated ICT as a complementary tool rather than as a replacement to the traditional classrooms (Driouchi 29). For instance, communication between students and their instructors has been simplified through E-mail and other online platforms. In some technologies the entire classes can create forums where they can interact with their colleagues and teachers can also share academic materials. Such forums have been particularly helpful for students that are involved in group projects.
Technological advancement has also led to creation of long-distance education programs. Through internet, the instructors are able to deliver their services with the same level of efficiency as they would in a physical classroom and to a larger audience (Susheel 69). ICT advancement has made it possible for the instructors to incorporate audio and video files and through them online students can interact with each other and their instructors in real time. These online classes have helped those that need retraining and up-skilling but are restricted by their work and family demands such that they cannot attend the traditional classes (Driouchi 57). In addition, the internet-based education programs allow the students to access courses that are not offered in colleges and schools near