Our first tutorial for Participation in Occupation (One) was centered around the theme of 'Information Technology and Ethical Issues'.
The Internet has
become a form of reality for some people, an income for most and a curiosity
for all. Through the Internet we are able to discover things we once could not,
share our lives with people we will never meet and maybe even become famous!
The Internet has
provided a whole new world, and with that world we have a new language, words like ‘information technology’ or ‘IT’. TechTerms.com describes information
technology to be “anything related to computing technology” (2012). IT is
anything and everything of computers, IT wiz= person who knows about computers,
IT department=computer department, IT school=school that teaches about
computers.
IT has become the
normal for western society, our countries rely on it, as does our generation
and even more so the generations after. Technology runs the majority of our
society, electric trains, hospitals and their equipment, schools, farms,
factories and even cars have an proportion of computerized parts.
To think that the first portable computer was
released in 1975 weighing 55 pounds (Computer Hope, 2012) compared to todays MacBook
Air, which “weighs nothing” (Apple, 2012), makes me consider can 37 years really make that much difference?
Watch this clip to
see the difference technology has made between then and now.
Now watch this
clip as it demonstrates where technology will take us in the future.
I personally could
not live without technology, I feel uneasy not having my cellphone on me at all
times, I feel left out when I haven’t checked my Facebook account for a day or
so. I use my laptop several times a day; whether it's to listen to music,
watch a movie, to check tomorrow’s weather or complete course work, yet it
scares me how much of a hold technology has on us today. We rely on technology
to provide us with so much and yet it excludes us from so much at the same
time.
The Article Online
Directory have published a very thought provoking article written by Aydan
Corkern regarding the negative side to advancing technology. Corkern states that
“as a result, people are becoming more
lazy, and they don't feel the dire need to step outside of their home to find
entertainment and fun in things that used to be fun, such as participating in a
rousing game of basketball with friends, meeting a friend at a coffee shop,
etc. Technology is a privilege to have but interaction with other people is
crucial, and being responsible for one's actions and not letting technology
rule his or her life is better than becoming desensitized to society” (Article
Online Directory, 2009).
I had a great
technology learning curve during my first fieldwork placement. I was shown how
technology has improved health care professionals performance greatly, less
time was spent writing client’s session notes and medical records were easily
accessed allowing the therapist more time with other clients. This was simple
and time effective until my supervising therapist’s computer crashed meaning
she could not complete notes or gather client information thus delaying client
visits.
While technology is
continually evolving, it still holds the same problems we face as humans.
Confidential secrets are told, private pictures are shown, incorrect
information is shared and people are offended. Many clips shown on YouTube
offend others, Wikipedia is known for unreliable information, Google Maps have
taken misfortunate photos and computer hackers are always releasing private
information this has pushed people to the point where “Some users prefer
stricter forms of privacy such as anonymity to the Internet” (Buzzle.com,
2012).
Technology has its
positives and negatives, like most things today but as I have recently learned its not
something we can avoid forever.
References:
Apple (2012). MacBook Air. Retrieved 8th
March 2012 from http://www.apple.com/macbookair/features.html
Article Online
Directory (2009). The negative effects of
advancing technology on society. Retrieved 8th March 2012 from http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/128143/the-negative-effects-of-advancing-technology-on-society.html
Buzzle.com (2012).
Ethical issues of internet privacy. Retrieved
8th March 2012 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ethical-issues-of-internet-privacy.html
Computer Hope
(2012). When was the first computer
invented? Retrieved 8th March 2012 from http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000984.htm
TechTerms.com (2012).
IT (information technology) definition. Retrieved 8th March 2012
from http://www.techterms.com/definition/it
