Introduction to the Digital Age

Digital age, also known as Information age, is a period when the computer and
internet were introduced. It is caused by rapid shift from traditional industry to
computerization all the way to artificial intelligence which brought by Industrial
Revolution. These technologies enabled people to communicate information easily and
rapidly. Digital Technology became prevalent and widely used around the world.
Information can be accessed easily specially with the use of the internet. House chores
and jobs are getting automated with the help of machines and equipment. Mobile
phones became very useful in every areas of life --- in education, entertainment, jobs,
etc. Digital technologies have radically changed the way people work, consume, and
communicate over a short period of time.

The ICT and its role in Social Change

Information Communications Technology (ICT) has the power to transform society. ICT
is defined as a group of interrelated technologies (electronic devices) for accessing,
processing, and disseminating information. It is a system of electronic network
activated through a complex hardware and software systems linked by a vast array of
technical protocols. ICTs are indisputably important part of our social setting today.
The term ICTs has been used to embrace technological innovation and merging in
information and communication transforming our world into information or knowledge
societies. The rapid development of these technologies has fainted the boundaries
between information, communication, and various types of media.

The development of a society mostly depends on the access to information. The

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) greatly ease the flow of
information and knowledge offering the socially marginalized community an
extraordinary chance to attain their own rights socially, economically, educationally,
and politically. Despite ICT’s massive potential, the current global information
outburst has had surprisingly little impact on development activities and access to
practical information for rural communities, local people, and forefront development
workers in developing countries. The emergence of Internet, World Wide Web, mobile
cell phones, digital television, and several other new electronic devices pertaining
information and communication technologies (ICTs) are opening a fresh passageways
for transforming the way we live, work, learn, communicate and also provides a
strategic opportunities of diverse and significant social and economic benefits to
people across the globe. It also enables financial inclusion through mcommerce and
allows people to connect with millions instantaneously.

Social change refers to a transformation of culture and social organizations/structures

over time. We are aware that in a modern world, a society is never static and that of
social, political, economic, and cultural changes occurs constantly. The social
transformations that could result from the increasing use of ICTs depend strangely on
verdicts made by organizations and individuals outside our household, many of whom
have great economic leverage, political power or technical expertise. To increase the
consent potential of ICTs, it is important to understand some of their basic features,
which make them a unique kind of technologies.

Entertainment

With the advent of new technologies, the world of entertainment is constantly evolving.
Digital broadcasting has completely changed the way we experience television and
radio. Cinema can now be found at the comfort of your home through application such
as Netflix, iFlix, etc. We get entertained by the content that we see in Facebook,
YouTube, and Instagram. Computer gaming has also been an important influence in
the development of graphical interfaces. Technology has been at the forefront of
changes in production and distribution of music. We can now listen to music and
podcast using Spotify. These are some of the many technologies we use for
entertainment that arise in the Digital Age.

Business

The impact of ICT on business is particularly significant. It empowers people to share

knowledge and advice instantaneously and set up an online shop or website at a low
cost, dramatically lowering the barriers to starting a business. As such, ICT maturity
is closely linked to economic growth.

The impact of ICT on business is particularly significant. It empowers people to share

knowledge and advice instantaneously and set up an online shop or website at a low
cost, dramatically lowering the barriers to starting a business. As such, ICT maturity
is closely linked to economic growth.

The impact of ICT infrastructure on social businesses cannot be understated. It has

made social impact affordable, social impact scalable, and enables new ways to
connect to and engage with local communities.

Education

The impact of ICT on teachers, trainers, learners, researchers and the entire education
society is tremendous. It is changing the way of the education delivery system in the
world by enhancing access to information for all. It also ensures effective and inclusive
education. ICT supports the concept of open learning where the thrust is upon
enhanced student access and the development of student autonomy.

ICT can play varied roles in developing an effective learning environment. It assists
teachers and helps explain core content concepts and addresses misconceptions. It
acts as a stimulant and fosters analytical thinking and interdisciplinary studies. It
networks a learner with the peers and experts and develops collaborative atmosphere.
It plays the role of a guide and mentor by providing tailor made instructions to meet
individual needs. Online learning facilitates learning through digital mode. With the
help of multimedia, it enhances effectiveness of teaching-learning and hence proves
crucial for early learners, slow learners and differently abled learners. Modern ICT
tools not only deliver the content but also replicate formal learning experience via
virtual learning. The intention of virtual classrooms is to extend the structure and
services that accompany formal education programs from the physical environment to
learners.

ICT also addresses the need of mobile learning. It offers independent space and
flexibility that comes from working away from the learning institute or tutor. It makes
education accessible to all, irrespective of geographical barriers or resource
constraints. Learners from remote areas, working people who want to learn further
and update their knowledge and differently able students who find travelling an issue
of concern - benefit from the mobile learning mode.

Digital resources in classrooms can help prepare students for a digital society and
economy

Digital technologies can unlock new learning opportunities in the classroom by giving
students access to a wider range of resources, by complementing the teacher in
learning processes (computer-assisted learning) and by providing other advantages to
students, such as access to motivational and informational resources associated with
access to tertiary education programs.. Access to technology is quite certainly
beneficial to students’ digital skills and provide a clear advantage to students in that
area. But the effects on other learning outcomes are generally considered limited or
potentially negative. Some studies find that computer-assisted learning has some
positive effects, especially in science and mathematics, because it provides students
with personalized learning modules that are adapted to their level.

Jobs and earnings

Beyond income security, employment fulfils a number of important roles for human
wellbeing, such as time structure, social contact, a sense of purpose, a valued social
position as well as an opportunity for skill use. For this reason, the labor market
effects of the digital transformation are among the most significant for people’s well-
being. The digital transformation has the potential to generate substantial changes in
the composition of the labor market as jobs that require certain skillsets are replaced
by a combination of technology and higher skilled labor, or even completely
automated. At the same time, digitalization yields opportunities by creating
employment in new and existing industries, with greater job-to-job mobility facilitated
by online job search tools. The digital economy also fundamentally changes the nature
of work for many people, with fewer jobs exerting physical demands on workers but
more jobs placing an emotional strain on desk-workers. New jobs in ICT and in other
sectors become available.
Despite fears for the automation, there is little evidence so far that technological
change has led to a net loss of jobs. There are theoretical reasons for which
technological progress may contribute to job creation. Efficiency gains and cost-
savings may induce job creation within industries by expanding the market and
therefore increasing demand. Increased productivity in one sector can also have
positive spillovers in other sectors, if this translates into lower prices and higher
demand across the economy. While these processes may imply short-term
unemployment among displaced workers, they have the potential to generate
economy-wide employment gains.

Digital technologies may destroy jobs at risk of automation

While the previous section has pointed to the lack of evidence of the negative effects of
technological change on total employment so far, a number of authors have argued
that ICTbased technological change will be more profound than previous instances of
great technological change. This argument is mainly supported by the observation that
the laborsaving potential of digital technologies is far greater than in the case of
previous technological changes. As a result, automation may, in the future, have
much more impactful consequences on the need for human labor than it has so far.
For the moment, while a shift away from manufacturing jobs has been observed, this
has not translated to overall losses in employment, as middle-skill jobs have been
replaced by new high-skill and low-skill jobs.

Concerns of the automation of jobs are warranted, however, at least in order to make
the case for the need to invest in the most appropriate skills for the future digital
economy. Thus far, estimates of the impact of automation mainly rely on expert’s
predictions of the types of tasks that are likely to be replaced by machines. Previous
estimates by Autor, Levy and Murnane (2003) quickly proved to be too cautious: tasks
that Autor et al. considered to be out of reach for machines, such as truck driving, are
already being threatened by rapid advances in machine learning and AI. More recent
estimates of the potential jobdisplacement effects of automation have looked at job
tasks rather than entire job categories. Food preparation assistants, cleaners and
helpers, laborers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport, and
assemblers are the most likely to see their job tasks automated, while teaching
professionals, health professionals and personal care workers are among the least
likely to lose their job to a machine. Similarly, Schwab (2016) and Susskind and
Susskind (2015) consider that the work of lawyers, financial analysts, journalists,
doctors or librarians could be partially or totally automated. Schwab (2016)
emphasizes that algorithms made available by AI are able to successfully replace
human actions, even creative ones. The author presents the example of automated
narrative generation, in which algorithms can conceive written texts for particular
types of audience.

Teleworking (Work from Home) allows people to save time and combine their work and
personal lives
Teleworking (Work from Home), on the other hand, may present an opportunity for
work-life balance as it improves time management and may reduce time spent
commuting. A variety of studies have found that employees who engage in telework
have higher job satisfaction. Among positive effects, teleworkers report reduced
commuting times, more flexibility in organizing their working time, and better overall
work-life balance. Evidence from the American Time Use Survey shows that reductions
in the time spent commuting and in-home production due to Internet increase labor
force participation.

Health

Digitalization can affect people’s health status through the emergence of new physical
and mental health risks and through its impact on the health-care delivery system.
Health risks associated with the digital transformations include mental health
problems associated with the extreme use of digital technologies, especially among
children and teenagers and the crowding out of other activities such as physical
exercise. Health-care delivery is also affected by new digital technologies, such as
electronic records, new treatment options, telecare, and teleconsultation. An important
aspect of digitalization concerns the production and use of medical data to improve
the effectiveness and efficiency of health systems. As a caveat, the exchange and use
of medical and health data must meet high data protection and data security
standards, considering its sensitivity. How and where care is delivered is also affected
by digital innovations, which challenges the traditional role of care providers, with
implications for interactions among care providers and between providers and
patients. The effects of these changes in healthcare delivery of health inequalities are
potentially large, but also less well documented.

Extreme use of digital technologies may have negative mental health effects

The effects of mobile phones, video games, and the pervasiveness of ubiquitous
screens on the mental health of children and teenagers have drawn significant
attention in the public debate because they may present risks of addiction. Extreme
Internet use, defined as children who spend more than 6 hours on the Internet outside
of school, is becoming more common among children and teenagers, with time spent
online by 15-year-olds increasing by about 40 minutes between 2012 and 2015 on
average. A study also found that the iGeneration members (the generation grown up in
an environment where technology is ubiquitous) check their social media accounts on
average every 15 minutes. While video games used to be the primary source of extreme
use of digital technologies, the smartphone has extended this risk to a wider range of
applications. A recent study found that 39% of 18- to 29-year-olds in the United
States are online “almost constantly”

Theories in Technology

Technological Determinism
It is the theory which strongly believe that technology shapes the culture, values,
social structures of a society. The main reason why society progresses is because of
the kind technology the society has. Technological innovation is the cause of the social
progress. The technology has the control over the society --- over human actions,
culture and values. Technology greatly influences human thought and action. In other
words the society is changing because of technology.

According to Winner, technology is not the slave of the human being but rather
humans are slaves to technology as they are forced to adapt to the technological
environment that surrounds them.

Example. The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan. The technology which is
used as a channel of communication matter more than the content.

Example. The invention of the stirrup. It is the foot support for horse-riders. Before its
invention, riders were not able to use swords while riding in a horse because they may
lose balance. When the stirrup was invented, it enabled armored knights to fight on
horseback. Because of this, it brought the development of feudal societies --- a military
rule by nobles or lords

Example. The invention of gun. Before, the weapons used were swords and archery ---
soldiers had to be skilled and trained in using these weapons. But a new invention in
technology changed it all. A gun was invented which require a less effort and can be
used even from far distances. This technology changed the way soldiers are trained. It
also changed how soldiers fight in a war.

Social Constructivism

Social Constructivism is the opposite of the Technological Determinism. Social

Constructivism believes that humans play a main role in shaping technology rather
than technology shaping society. It believes that technology does not determine
human action, but rather, human action shapes the technology.

Technological Change

Technological change means the technical knowledge used in the production of capital
and machinery. The various changes in technology leads to an increase in the
productivity of labor, capital and other production factors. Technological progress
comprises of creation of skill, new means of production, new uses of raw materials and
the widespread use of machinery.Our curiosity, the hunger to expand, and the need to
do things efficiently drive us to create these technologies.

The technology is the most powerful means of wresting power from nature in all
possible ways. It strengthens the facilities of man. Prof. Frankel assumes that the,
“Technological change is not a mere improvement in the technical know-how. It means
much more than this. It should be preceded by sociological change also, a willingness
and desire on the part of community to modify their social, political and administrative
institutions so as to make them fit with new techniques of production and faster
tempo of economic activity.” Technology, according to J. P. Dewhurts, in fact, can be
thought of as the change in the production process of material and human skills.

Process of Technological Change

Technological changes devise new goods and techniques of production. The

development of new technical knowledge can be defined as the growth of the new
technique that can produce goods and services at lesser cost of production.

The process of growth of technical knowledge can be divided into following stages:

(a) Formulation of scientific principles

(b) Application of these principles to give technical problems

(c) Development of technical inventions to the point of commercial exploitation.

The first stage is the advancement in scientific knowledge, the second is that of the
application of this knowledge to some useful purposes and third is the
commercialization of invention which is called innovation. This has a great
significance in the process of development. Schumpeter has distinguished between
invention and innovation. Invention implies the discovery of new technique while
innovation is practical application of invention in production for market.

It may be called commercialization that originates from scientific advancement.

Invention is scientific fact while innovation is economic fact. Inventions are carried on
by the inventors large capital investments at every stage as it needs not only a
scientific attitude but an attitude of the community and an entrepreneurial skill of
high order with the ability to understand the possibilities of employing scientific
incentives for commercial purposes.

References

• Muhammad Adam, Faisal. (2016). "Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Social
Changes and Transformation". 10.13140/RG.2.2.22371.60960.

• Debasish. “Technological Change: It's Meaning and Process.” Economics Discussion, 11 Aug.
2015, www.economicsdiscussion.net/articles/technological-change-its-meaning-andprocess/
4447.

• Tikam, Madhuri V. “Impact of ICT on Education.” International Journal of Information

Communication Technologies and Human Development (IJICTHD), IGI Global, 1 Oct. 2013,
www.igi-global.com/article/impact-of-ict-on-education/102982.

• “The Social Impact of ICT.” Ericsson.com, 13 Dec. 2019, www.ericsson.com/en/reports-

andpapers/networked-society-insights/social-business/social-impact-of-ict.
• “Digital Age.” Digital Age Dictionary Definition | Digital Age Defined,
www.yourdictionary.com/digital-age.

Activities/Assessment

Essay: Read the statement/s carefully. Answer the given statement/s concisely.

1. Discuss how digital technology change society in the area of:

a. Business

b. Job

c. Health

d. Lifestyle

e. Entertainment

f. Education

2. Differentiate Technological Determinism and Social Constructivism. Elaborate and

give concrete examples.

3. Describe the process of technological change. How technological evolution takes

place?