Influence of ICT in Modern Living

Question: Discuss about the Influence of ICT in Modern Living. Answer: Introduction: Information and communication technology is a general term that is applied to a colossal domain. The domain encompasses every technological concepts and innovations of the past, present and future. Technology has seeped into every aspect of modern living from home to workplace. The facilities offered by the ICT are huge and cannot be undermined (Sarkar 2012, pp. 30-41). ICT is inherent in my daily life. The alarm clock in my Android device wakes me up in the morning. I switch on my laptop and start my daily work by logging into my online workspace to figure out my works for the day and update my daily planner. In the mean time, I go through the news in my phone and check the emails. This is how I start my day. I remember the first time I bought the Android set, I spent all week in getting used to the touch functionality of the device and figuring out the facilities, it offers. Now the device is a part of me. The role of ICT in my life has transformed from comfort to a necessity. Initially I had to struggle with the process of adapting myself with technology, as is the case with everything new. Over the years, the adoption became natural. I still struggle with offbeat innovations; however, the time consumed in adapting takes much less time. The process of learning something new is enlightening and I use every help that I receive. Watching tutorials and reading blogs to understand a new technology is always helpful. A deeper insight is obtained my experimenting and exploring the topic independently. My dependency on technology, however, scares me sometimes. The loophole in the technology infrastructure that is exposed repeatedly affects the trust based on which I use the technology, but there is no turning back as the advantage offered by technology far exceeds the adverse effects that it has. Reply for Michal Krajcik I completely agree with the facts stated by Michal. Technology surely is an integral part of our life; however, it has not the same a few years ago. I remember my struggle of getting used to the touchpad of my laptop. Gradually the process eased out and now it seems that technology is as normal as eating or breathing. The development in ICT is a resource consuming and long-term process. A number of countries are still on their way to progress in the sector. In fact, many regions in developed countries are untouched by the advancement of technologies. International and National agencies are trying to bridge the gap; the world is a big place to connect. Elders find the use of technology difficult. The rapidly evolving gadgets and new applications they offer overwhelms them. In spite of the difficulty, they are always curious about the technology and keeps on posing questions regarding the developments they observe. They belong to the generation where telephone, radio and television were considered assets of the technology. Pondering on the adoption of technology, I feel everything new is daunting. First bicycle ride, first car drive, first day in school, college each of these seemed so difficult initially, but we get used to it. Adaptability is inherent in us. The necessity of technology serves as an incentive to adapt to innovation. The application of technology extends from education to workplace. Internet enables us to learn new things and expand our knowledge on the already known ideas. The availability of jobs in the internet has turned freelancing into a stable job prospect. The dependency, however, is not an all-good prospect as mentioned by Michal. Obsession in any form can disrupt normal life. Unavailability of technology isolates people; but so does the overuse of technology. Everything possesses two facets, good and bad. We have to be responsible for the choices we make. Reply for Jean Paul I agree with Jean. The fact stated by Jean is a specific form of a more generalized issue; the philanthropic use of resources. We are responsible for the way we use resources. Internet offers enormous prospect for the growth of knowledge. The amount of data available on the internet is huge. Search engines ease the task of tracing resources and the variety offered by the search results provide a broad base for in-depth research. All the presented data, however, is not legitimate and require considerable filtering (Von Schomberg, R. 2012, pp. 39-61). The resources not only include static resources, but also include streaming media and live feeds. These resources keep an individual updated about the facts in various fields, but their use is not limited to good purposes. This is dependent on the psychology and intent of the person availing the information. Technology plays a crucial role in modern education, as rightly stated by Jean. The availability of online education has enabled a huge number of people to gain education. Forums and blogs act as an aggregation of knowledge and YouTube demonstrates the process. The importance of ICT has compelled the United Nations to take up projects such as ICT for Development (Publicadministration.un.org. 2016). The accessibility of information is as good as the person applying it. The information available in the internet is open to the all and can be used for nefarious purposes as well. Spreading rumors and misleading masses is also an influential aspect of the digital era. The only way to deal with these issues is to be aware of the existence of such hoaxes; accepting new information after considerable analysis of the facts and approaching the information critically. References Barham, B.L., Chavas, J.P., Fitz, D., Salas, V.R. and Schechter, L., 2014. The roles of risk and ambiguity in technology adoption.Journal of Economic Behavior Organization,97, pp.204-218. 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