Chapter 7

Digital Technology and Social Change
Desired Learning Outcomes/Competencies
At the end of the semester, the students must:

• Explain the role of ICT in social change.
• Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and imminent
threats of the digital age.
• Articulate basic, but fundamental definitions of complex issues and
dynamics that humans encounter every day, such as technology,
social progress, development, and digitalization
Introduction to the Digital Age
Digital age/ 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.
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.
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.
Entertainment
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.
Business
ICT helps to increase productivity in business with the use of social
Media platforms for marketing and promotion. The use of websites
now allowed companies to develop new and cheaper ways of offering
customers with opportunities of buying goods and services at their
convenient time and enhance the level of customer service. Online
platform has been the marketplace where people can transact and
communicate.
Education
ICT supports the concept of open learning where the thrust is upon
enhanced student access and the development of student autonomy.
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.
Jobs and earnings
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.
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
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.
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.
Theories in Technology Technological
Determinism
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.
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 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. Our curiosity, the hunger to expand, and
the need to do things efficiently drive us to create these technologies.
Technological Change
The various changes in technology leads to an increase in the productivity of
labor, capital and other production factors.
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 7 technical problems
(c) Development of technical inventions to the point of commercial
exploitation.

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Digital Technology and Social Change

Desired Learning Outcomes/Competencies

At the end of the semester, the students must:

Digital age/ Information age

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