Societal Issues

Week 3

Advantages of Computer Technology

Reaches of technology allow more people/businesses to move to small cities and still profit

Net can “conquer distance” - education, entertainment, information

People anywhere can communicate Communication can be anonymous

to avoid embarrassment

Negative Effects

On-line shopping - Hurts local community vibrancy

Isolation- Reduce face to face gathering

Greater stress Downplays importance of

community Addiction to cyberspace

Other causes of declining social relationships

Modern transportation and communications encourage increased mobility

Changes in family patterns later marriage, more divorce,

working mothers Television Less free time to spend with family

Workplace Vs. Time

How has the workspace changed over time?

What has changed and why?

Changes in the Workplace Location Over Time

Farming Industry

What about the Nature of work?

Why do we work?

Survival Needs Career Social development Sense of accomplishment

Information have and have nots: the Access Issue

Access to information may give some people a large advantage over those without access

Social and economic division - leads to violence and political disruption

Human costs - joblessness, wasted potential, and poverty

Principals of Universal Access

Everyone must have a place to go to gain access

Hardware and software easy to use fits the needs of all users - disabled

Simple training in effective use of tools

Pricing must be affordable for everyone

Access to full range of features

Solutions

Reduction of prices will lead to spread of technology to all social classes

Spread of “rental” facilities like washing machines and copy

machines Training needs decrease due to

common user interfaces, GUI Donations/recycle

Methods to obtain universal access

Force reduced rates for poor Government subsidies, paid by

taxes Tax information providers Tax e-mail and communication

providers Government programs to pay for

computers in public areas

Criticisms

Other technologies have not caused big problems between classes education crucial for success of

individual Mandatory taxes - inequitable,

inefficient, and unnecessary Low access rates can be budgeted

if a valued priority in life - like TV, driving

Loss of Skills and Judgement

Computer technology encourages certain uses because it makes things easier IE: Spell checker Concentration on features

instead of underlying knowledge

Encourages mental laziness

Writing, Thinking, and Memory

I have a spelling checker.It came with my PC.It plainly marks four my revue,Miss steaks aye can knot sea.Eye ran this poem threw it,I’m sure your pleased too no.It’s letter perfect in it’s weigh,My checker tolled me sew.

Loss of Job Skills

Dependence upon computer technology to perform work functions Drawing or drafting Dictation Auto-pilot on aircraft

Deskilling of Labor? Loss of Jobs?

Political Freedom

Government Control Increases government's ability to

amass information - monitor movements

Restricts uses that contribute to freedom

Aids desirable law enforcement Enforce oppressive or stupid laws Carry out illegal activities against

people

Political Freedom Continued... Government Control

Protect and increase their own power Ban uses of technology such as

encryption Some countries use censorship and

ban transmission

Audio

Neo-Luddites

People who oppose all technological progress

Views are tied to a particular way of life for people

Burned factories in response to industrial revolution

Specific Criticisms - Computers...

Cause massive unemployment and deskilling of jobs

Manufacture needs Cause social inequity and

disintegration Separate humans from nature Destroy the environment Are dehumanizing - lead to

isolation

Specific Criticisms - Computers...

Benefit big business Benefit government Used in schools will thwart

development of social skills, human values, intellectual skills

Do little to solve real human problems

Intelligent Machines

The “Forbin” Project Terminator example Battlestar “G”

Social Computing

Facebook Twitter Texting

SMS Legal issues