Major Consequences of ICT

Definition

ICT stands for information communication and technology. It refers use of all electronic devices for various purposes like communications, information sharing, creating and storing data and information distribution. Although there is no single and universal definition of ICT, the term, ICT is generally accepted to mean all devices, networking components, applications and systems that combined allow people and organizations i.e., businesses, nonprofit agencies, governments and criminal enterprises to interact in the digital world. ICT is itself a discipline. It is a unique subject having special contents, methods, applications, and theoretical as well as practical philosophy. Computer science, computer engineering, IT engineering and other hundreds of subjects are under this discipline. ICT or information and communications technology is the first infrastructure and components that enabled to create and establish highly digital computing world.

On the other word, ICT refers to physical and virtual technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. It is similar to Information Technology (IT), but focuses primarily on communication technologies. The ICT includes internet, wireless networks, self-phones, and other communication mediums. Thus ICT is advance innovation of current era.

Importance of ICT

In the past few decades, information and communication technologies have provided a vast array of new communication capabilities to society. For example, people can communicate in real-time with others in different countries using technologies such as instant messaging, voice over IP (VoIP), and video-conferencing. Social networking websites like Facebook and twitter allow their users to remain in contact and communicate on a regular basis from any corner of the world.

-      Modern information and communication technologies have created a "global village," in which people can communicate with others across the world as if they were living next door. So ICT is playing vital role in our daily activities. Because every operation is done through computerized system to save time and high speed with accuracy. Costly, ICT has emerged like incarnation for people. By considering this, the world is going to progress pointing to paperless and clean earth with artificial intelligence system.

Impacts of ICT

-      There is nothing which may have only goodness or only badness. In this sense, the ICT has also good and bad aspects in its nature. It is incarnation for innovative trends but may not appreciable for certain traditional culture’s conservation and human resources. However; this can be utilized by catching maximum positivity while working. It is said, “Nothing is itself bad but user changes its mainstream”. Moreover, advantage or disadvantage of ICT tool depends on its use. Here, some positive impacts and negative impacts are briefly described as point form.

Positive effects of ICT

-      There are numbers of changes have become possible due to rapid development of ICT and ICT related instruments. Hence, life of the human is easier than past. Not only that, ICT has opened the door of dream in various sectors such as business, education, learning and more. The major positive impacts are as follows.

• Education: as words of John Dewey, “Education is growth, growth is life and the life is education”. In this context, education is lifelong process. It is received in every growth of passing time. In education, ICT entered as new dimension which ensures everyone can teach and everyone has equal opportunities to learn how he/she need. American blogger can compose a material and post on his site which is immediately seen by many people around world; Nepali student have wonderful environment to ask for any country of geographical map. So ICT makes dramatic enhancement in educational skill and accessibility to the people.
• Medicine: currently there is risk of COVID-19 pandemic and no comfortable bed in most of urban hospitals. Likewise, walking is also considerable part though seriousness of patient. In this case, some groups have developed medicine delivery oriented application software which receives prescription copy of medicine by doctor. Furthermore, patients can send photo of prescription copy via this facility and the company delivers to their home as per order of medicine. In Nepal, Hamro Farma is giving such service in particular area.
• Bank: As result of technology, life of paper currency is long and process to transact is shorter than before. Likewise, huge amount of calculation is possible to check and balance within certain time such as total deposit, outstanding loan amount, non performing loan, etc. It is not wrong to say that, no one would do all banking report arrangement in full career as IT software has done. According to Nepal Clearing House report 2077-2078, online payment amount was 13 billion which is about three times high than GDP of Nepal. Esewa, IME Pay, Khalti and other dozen of online payment gateway companies also facilitate online shopping like recharge, antivirus, daily life products, trading and many services. In this way, ICT tools are very useful and simpler in present life.
• Business: In some decades ago, there were large group of people who used to trade by visiting physically all possible area of the world. But this scenario has changed due to new innovation of ICT. So every market and trading activity can be tracked from home or single small screen of smart phone. Specially, online based ICT inventions have highly influenced in payment and share equity market of the world. Because Nepali share market which was happily appreciated if one billion amount was transacted. However; there is a record of 19.55 billion in a single day at Nepali share market. Therefore, it seems to have more opportunities in normal business like governmental revenue collection and capital market. Colleges and universities have also introduced ICT based software to pay tuition of student and other fees and charges. This means, ICT has flourished e-commerce.
• Communication: in Nepal, telephone was used in 1970 B.S. Computer was carried in 1991 B.S. but officially used in 2028 B.S. Radio Nepal had established in 2007 Chaitra 20 B.S. and Television started to broadcast its service from 2042 B.s. Similarly, mobile operating service has begun from 2060s. Post office was only one option to communicate each other. Now there is 98% access of telephone. E-communication is widely practiced. It is said that sometimes man arrived to home before his sent letter coming. Now days, small to big message reaches any place of world within a second.
• Multimedia: If we see history of the world, press media were emerged on 16^th century and broadcasting media started on 18^th century. In 21^st century, there is no worry to mix audio-visual content and trouble to repetition of same recording process. A song could be taken about a week to record completely but this is possible within an hour. Meanwhile, style of presentation has also changed due to inclusion of audio, letters, graphical charts and visual contents together. This mixture of different kinds of summation is called multimedia. By the help of multimedia, learning and teaching is being more effective and sustainable.
• Entertainment: in past story, there might have ever dual mode in contents delivery style. Later, this turned into incredible story in reality of today. ICT has facilitated many tools to avoid boredom and loneliness from individual life. First, radio worked this type of work. After some years, YouTube launched in 2005 which highly expanded within two years. Except these results, social media like facebook, instagram and other sites are closed attached with people’s daily life. People can visit this platform and watch films, interested videos and catch things as wishes.

Negative impact of ICT

Despite many positive changes done by ICT and its expansion, there are some disadvantages of it. “Weapon cuts enemy, but can hamper you if not used properly”. So there is misuse of ICT and its tools. For example, hacking, online piracy, etc are main challenges of the ICT. To understand vital negative impact of ICT, following key points are discussed.

1. Health problem: Accessibility of android phone is good due to affordable cost and availability. Before some years ago, TV might be great windows of the world. However; mobile is freely accessed to small child now. Likewise, covid-19 also reinforced to stay home and spend more time with such electronic devices. From the point view of health, everyone should twinkle by every 20 minutes at least. But this speed is decreasing by computer and mobile screen oriented habits which is main cause of dry eyes. Fatness is also increased with laziness because of no chance and motivation to walk outside. So toxicities of mobile are terrible problems for current generations. This may causes low humanity in relatives, high rate of suicide, stress and more health problems. Finally this catches our study habit and diverts into global gaming and self-centred manner.
2. Piracy: Piracy is defined as online stealing or action against copyright laws. After development and improvement in ICT related media, this has added non-defensive challenge into struggle list of intellectual property. There are digital monitoring systems also but are not able to give satisfactory result owing to linguistic diversity, gap between human efficiency and machine work and other challenges. There is tremendous condition about copyright in Nepal. Because online materials are not properly cited which leads to strong wall to get right ways for checking. Thesis writing, topic repetition and copy down of any online works are major issues regarding it. So it is recommended to all user to care your work/contribution which may be stolen either posted link of online media or copied from hard copy script. Piracy has not challenged to copyright issues also, but it is damaging fundamental creativity of people.
3. Pornography: ICT based tools allow to edit and operate all works from residents and secret places sometimes. This environment promotes pornography and vulgarity on social media. Children seem to have more negative effect through watching of such contents. Civilization is not appreciated on those sites. For instance, tiktok is making people more friendly but uncivilized also.
4. Hacking: Hacking is illegal way to enter into any account as role of authorized entity. ICT facilitates to use social media, different websites, application and operating system by creating account or registration process. This is to be comprised useful and easier activities. Even though knowing that, some groups are actively working on hacking of other’s account and collecting huge amount of money by selling received data and threatening to people about future of their sites and morality. This is because almost people do not keep strong password. They save password to avoid step of retype again and again. Password generally is not changed and account details is saved on their devices where they log-in. if someone message or offers small wealth, the people are ready to give whatever demanded from social media. It is heard that girls and boys search life partner and marry but regret after seeing original face and behavior which leads to divorce. Not with stand that, Nepali banks and financial institutions are facing such problems time to time. In Ashad 2078, A Nepali has withdrawn about four million Nepali rupees with the help of expired ATM card of Siddhartha Bank Limited. Therefore, it is better to keep your account up to date properly by checking certain security procedures. Organizational accounts are well managed though no one is to be secured completely from hacker and cyber criminal.
5. Less employment: Artificial intelligence introduced as optional worker of human. Various digital machines have started to work with high accuracy and fastest speed. This scenario is not displacing human resources, but also creating unemployment and large gap between poor and rich class. Traditional vocations like mule, potter, etc are situation of endanger. In short, there is misbalance between new job and efficient manpower.
6. Loss of information: ICT reversed paper based tasks and records into paperless computerized system. There is possibility to connect and distribute each and every records of any entity with the help of e-devices and internet. On the contrary, high risk of data management and protection of privacy with full reliability are followed by information damaging and error in retrieval centre. In soft copy, all information are managed from single windows which is interlinked to all relevant site. If main system fails to operate/update, all history and past earning can be destroyed within a second without any certainty of partial recovery. Map, important financial details, property, college and university’s results and reports, etc are uploaded into internet sites day by day. However; there is no 100% guarantee of safety. Small error can be enough to delete all related data permanently. Capital market, banking institutions and governmental recorded are always targeted by hackers to steal. If stakeholders do not complete demands of hackers, then our data can be treated whatever the hacker want. In this sense, ICT and ICT Education are necessary to know to prevent such things. Therefore, ICT and virtual literacy should be first priority of educational institutions.
7. Computer virus: Computer virus is a kind of programme which hinders to operating system and installed applications on the computer. It is known as malware or anti-programme. If any software is made and used against current laws of country, this is called virus in computer language. For example, Pegasus software has been built by an Israeli company which is used to tap target phone calls; that use it, programme for them but danger virus for others. This means ICT has not only developed good and secured matters. It is fostering new approach of data receiving which is easily done by computer virus. Governmental agencies are promoting professional hacking which is condemnation and legal way of making computer virus. Sometimes this may use against school and crop all data. Hence, do not delay to purchase and install antivirus on your mobile and computer to protect your data and prevent from such kinds of loss.

In conclusion, ICT is easier for daily life and ambitious work. However; it cannot be properly used without comprehensive ICT Education to all people. So well awareness and effective education of ICT is only one way to ensure safety in this era.