Today we easily connect with each other through electronic means such as cell phones, email, instant messaging, Twitter and Facebook so that we can maintain close contact and share information with more and more people than ever. Does this lead to healthier and more satisfying relationships than we had when most of our interaction was face-to-face, or does it lead to increasingly shallow ties? Or can we have more and better quality relationships through the judicious use of these technologies?
Children spend more and more time alone watching television, playing video games and sitting in front of computer screens, and less and less time in traditional play activities with their playmates. Play has an important role in physical and emotional development, and in recent years, childhood obesity has become a national health problem in the United States. Furthermore, all this exposure to intense stimuli seems to be resulting in a decrease in the attention span of our children in the school ข่าวไอที.
Many recent case studies have explained that prolonged exposure to intense information overload resulting from constant use of electronic media can disrupt brain development and even rewire adult brains. What will be the impact, if any, on our society if these trends continue? Not so long ago, the educational technology used by most teachers was limited to projectors, slide projectors, and film projectors that complemented the blackboard that had been the mainstay for generations. Today, the digital revolution has provided a number of alternatives that are changing the way educators deliver education and students pursue it. Distance learning opportunities allow students to earn advanced degrees from anywhere in the world at their own pace and without even visiting the degree-granting institution. There are obvious advantages to many students, but it also begs the question: Is the expense and inefficiency of the traditional residential university justified in today's technological world?
Finally, it is clear that traditional print media such as newspapers, magazines, and books are losing to digital media. Newspapers and magazines are closing left and right, and the Kindle and iPad are putting pressure on book publishers. Traditional journalism, where journalists are trained to verify facts and avoid prejudice, is giving way to blogs and opinion programs disguised as news. News programs trying to adhere to traditional journalistic values are losing viewers through openly biased cable channels that appeal to specific population groups, and the most popular hosts are those who shout louder and are more stubborn. If one believes that a successful democracy depends on an electorate that is well informed about the problems, what do these trends portend for our future? A complete book would be required to do justice to social, legal and ethical issues in IT.
