Discuss how ICT has changed modern society

Our modern day world becomes more and more modern every day, with new technologies and advances coming up. ICT impacts all parts of our lives, and has had a massive impact to society, the environment and its future.

Information and Communication technology opened up a whole new industry in the work sector, and that is clearly one of its many advantages. The ICT industry in Australia alone employs over 541,000 professionals. Meaning over half a million people with actual degrees in ICT related subjects.

At least 500,000-1,000,000 are expected as amateurs who have worked in the industry before. Our reliance on computers and technology is the reason that this number continues to increase. Although employment rates in ICT have stabilised from the roaring it had over the past decade, it is still employing thousands of people annually. Increased employments rates in this sector allows a fast form of global communication and trade.

ICT also left a mark on the way in which society communicates.

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E-mails, instant messaging, video conferences are all new ways in which people communicate effectively every day. These in turn, impact the economy. People have a much better standard of living as they don't have to pay for phone bills, plane tickets, or spend money on gas to visit their friends. Instead, this can all be done within a few seconds with a computer costing less than a single plane ticket.

Many schools worldwide use the internet for interactive trips for their students. With the economy suffering in the USA, may schools have adopted using video websites such as YouTube to keep the students interested with the issues of the world.

It is only human to get a rush as soon as you sit down in front of a computer, same for kids. Students studying Applied ICT at AS and A2 level are learning topics that were taught at degree levels only a decade ago. So ICT skills needed for the workforce are actually taught earlier on in life now. That's how vitally important they are.

Nothing can be 'complete' without mentioning global warming. ICT has reduced CO2 emissions from paper refineries worldwide, which in turn reduces the amount of global warming. Also, if you were to write on paper, you would need plenty of light and paper to do so, instead, ICT gives you the light of the screen, and pixel paper. This can also lead to a decrease in global warming statistics that have been rising ever since it was proven.

No matter how flat you make a pancake, it will still have two sides. So does the argument about the impact of ICT. Every upside comes with an equal downside, for example, even though ICT courses are offered to much younger ages now, that still doesn't disregard the fact that specialist equipment and rooms are needed for these courses. Specialists for troubleshooting must be on call, and security can be one of the major issues, as people know they're constantly being watched, and this may effect their strive to learn. For example if someone knows they're being watched, they wont be so eager to learn anymore.

Security issues and the feeling of always being watched and monitored can consequentially cause panic attacks, and increase stress. Stress is the number one leading factor for heart attacks worldwide.

ICT is a package that comes with health risks. Some include; extremely low frequency radiation ( caused by the lack of sun and being exposed to electricity for too long), Eyestrain (caused by poor lighting and a flickering screen, causes headaches, weak vision and pain), and Repetitive Strain Injury ( caused by repetition of the same movement , causes aching in arms and shoulders, loss of strength). The wrong posture while using the computer is a theory for the increase in rates of Scoliosis.

As jobs are being created by ICT, jobs are also lost as many office clerks and people are being replaced by machinery. Delicate and secure information can be easily duplicated without a trace. This raises the whole security of ICT issue IT crime, hacking, fraud, and tacking were one of the most important issues of our time at the stat of the millennium. In 2004, the leading cause of credit card fraud was from the internet, and unsecure websites that sold merchandise such as books, electronics, and even furniture.