Social Impact of IT

Social impact of IT

IT enables individuals and communities (cultural, ethnic, shared interest and geographical) to enhance their social and economic well being, and participate more actively in society and the economy, nationally as well as internationally. People can work through home, office, or through a range of community locations. People don't talk face to face. They use social site to chat with other people, even with their neighbour. It is easy for them to talk from their own location but there is loss of social contacts.

Letters, been a common way of sending messages to people for centuries, however now many people use e-mail (Electronic Mail) which sends messages online. Banking is now done online so many people have their bank details on the computer which at first may seem helpful but in fact it probably makes it easier for people to steal your information. Many people have fallen victim to internet theft which steals their bank details and get used for other purposes.

Before IT people used to visit libraries to read and research but nowadays people can read and research everything from their home. People can buys goods online from their home due to e-commerce enabled by IT. But it also has negative effects on society. Small shops cannot survive due worldwide competition. People get cheap prices but it can be fraud.

People copy someone’s work and say that is done by them. Copyrights introduced to stop the people from copying someone’s work. It is illegal to copy someone’s work without his permission.

The advance of information technology has also led to a need for new legislation to be introduced because of someone’s personal information might goes into wrong hands , for example in the United Kingdom the Data Protection Act of 1998. The government’s data protection act gives the following eight rules regarding personal information:

1. It must be fairly and lawfully processed

2. Processed for limited purposes

3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive

4. Accurate

5. Not kept longer than necessary

6. Processed in accordance with the data subject’s rights

7. Secure

8. Not transferred to countries without adequate protection.