Today's 21st century has been defined as the "information era". During this Information Age, the phenomenon is that more and more information is created and downloaded everyday, and societies are transitioning from industrialized societies to knowledge-based ones instead. Indeed, ICT has drived world change. ICT, includes the entire realm of mass media, the Internet, wireless and interactive telecommunications. During class, we explored ICT in a global context, about where we came from, where we are today and where we are going in the future.
In the past, information was mainly communicated via word-of-mouth. The invention of writing then followed, introducing new mediums for dissemination of information such as books and newspapers. The invention of the radio was also notable and of course, the invention of the early Internet. Previously, communication was directed from one to many. Over time, this form of communication started to evolve. It was no longer one to many but many to many, where it provided a platform for information to be spread to large groups of people. As sources of information become more varied, with more perspectives, due to consumers becoming more sophisticated over time. Admittedly, interactions with mass media has become far more interactive than compared to the past. Feedback, newspaper forums, blogging. Gone were the days where interactions were one-way. However, due to such open communication, we ought to be critical in our thinking, to discern for ourselves what information to receive and what not to.
One of the most accessible platform for the media to reach out to the masses would be the Internet. The World Wide Web, had gone through 2 generations since its invention in the 90s, and is now transitioning to the 3rd generation. Prof. Shahi showed us a very relevant video about the evolution of the WWW, from 1.0 to 2.0 and now, to 3.0. I found the Web 3.0 particularly interesting and am really looking forward to using it! Web 3.0 provides the user a richer and more relevant experience. The browser learns what the user's interests are just by the keywords he keys into search engines on pages such as Google, Youtube and Facebook. Every user will have a unique Internet profile based on his browsing history and Web 3.0 will use this profile to tailor the browsing experience to each individual user. The above mentioned is actually available today. What interests me more is the connection between all one's devices and appliances, where information is sharable between all. Data from sources would be more linked easily. The Web will extend far beyond computers and smartphones, but everything else such as your washing machine sitting in your kitchen, television sets, and air-conditioners for example. However, one issue for discussion would be the issue of privacy, especially when the Internet will be invisibly present in our everyday's appliances. How are we able to strike a balance between individual privacy and the benefit of having a personalized Web experience? There is always a price to pay. Another question would be, will the Web 3.0 a revolutionary shift, or will it be so subtle that we won't even notice the difference?
Social media. How has it changed the world? Information is being shared even faster, on multiple platforms, where contents are written by users instead of the usual organizations/companies. By putting forth individual opinions, it drives creativity and thoughtful insights by individuals. Social media has also undoubtedly made the world a closer and more connected one. Networks - people networks, social networks are made visible to others. For example, on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, you are able to see who you are friends with and who are your friends' friends. The power of these networks allows us to reach out to people we never dream of meeting. Social networking also revolutionize the way we communicate. We don't find the news, but the news find us through social media today. In addition, social media has also played a part in the political scene. Take elections for example. Voting, a traditionally private matter, is now becoming a more open and free topic to talk about. It is also only in recent times, candidates like Barrack Obama during the 2012 Presidential Elections, are using social media to campaign, predict and get votes.
An interesting issue brought up during the lesson was: Should the access to the Internet be considered a human right? Personally, I agree. Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, states the importance of the internet as "an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality, and accelerating development and human progress". Indeed, the denial of the right to Internet access is fundamentally the denial of the right to freedom of speech. Internet access would allow global reach no matter where one's country of origin and also allow individuals to disseminate information in 'real time'. This is also perhaps why some governments are fearful and thus created restrictions on the Internet by censoring contents and monitoring activists and critics, especially when there is the presence of relative anonymity online. For example, in Egypt, the government shut down the Internet a few times during the 18-day uprising in an attempt to stifle the protests during the Arab Spring. Such censorship of the Internet could therefore be seen as a breach of the right of freedom of speech. Perhaps, governments could better regulate this in the future.
On a broader perspective, how about the societies who have access to the Internet, and those who do not? This is also known as the Digital divide, where different societies have differing amount of information access, availability of access and affordability of cost and quality. Now the question is how to bridge the gap? It is suggested that the Internet and other ICTs are transforming society, improving mutual understanding, eliminating power differentials, realizing a truly free and democratic world society and other benefits. In education for example, it is great to see efforts such as the project of one laptop per child to be initiated in places such as Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda just to name a few. To add on, Rwanda, unlike most African nations, has limited natural resources and this resulted in Rwanda to take an approach where ICTs form the linchpin of its plan to fundamentally transform its economy. Rwanda drew up a blueprint—dubbed Vision 2020—for how to achieve this goal. Adopted in 2000, Vision 2020 outlines several initiatives, programs, and strategies for transforming Rwanda into a middle-income country and transitioning its agrarian economy into an information rich, knowledge-based one by 2020. With the huge investments in ICT infrastructure, over US$540 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) has been attracted to the ICT sector. This has led to an influx of foreign institutions setting up operations in Rwanda. It is with such steps which societies take, so that they can advance and develop in attempt to bridge the digital divide.
Overall, I would rate this lesson a 8/10. It is the first time the class had such a in-depth discussion on a topic itself, in this case is ICT and World Change and I found this topic particularly relevant to us as well. I look forward to the next lesson!
On a broader perspective, how about the societies who have access to the Internet, and those who do not? This is also known as the Digital divide, where different societies have differing amount of information access, availability of access and affordability of cost and quality. Now the question is how to bridge the gap? It is suggested that the Internet and other ICTs are transforming society, improving mutual understanding, eliminating power differentials, realizing a truly free and democratic world society and other benefits. In education for example, it is great to see efforts such as the project of one laptop per child to be initiated in places such as Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda just to name a few. To add on, Rwanda, unlike most African nations, has limited natural resources and this resulted in Rwanda to take an approach where ICTs form the linchpin of its plan to fundamentally transform its economy. Rwanda drew up a blueprint—dubbed Vision 2020—for how to achieve this goal. Adopted in 2000, Vision 2020 outlines several initiatives, programs, and strategies for transforming Rwanda into a middle-income country and transitioning its agrarian economy into an information rich, knowledge-based one by 2020. With the huge investments in ICT infrastructure, over US$540 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) has been attracted to the ICT sector. This has led to an influx of foreign institutions setting up operations in Rwanda. It is with such steps which societies take, so that they can advance and develop in attempt to bridge the digital divide.
Overall, I would rate this lesson a 8/10. It is the first time the class had such a in-depth discussion on a topic itself, in this case is ICT and World Change and I found this topic particularly relevant to us as well. I look forward to the next lesson!
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