Information Society Definition
Therefore, the information society is that society that has implemented ICTs in its way of life. In other words, they use ICTs massively to organize themselves as a society and interact with each other. The concept was born in Japan in the year 1960. It tries to expose the changes that organizations experienced after implementing the use of ICTs within them. For the sake of a Digital Revolution, all this was digitization did not cease in expansion throughout the planet.
Social networks, the information media, and other series of tools such as those mentioned are tools through which these societies interact.
The main scholars of the subject consider these societies as the successors of industrial societies. In the same way that the Industrial Revolution industrialized, forgive the redundancy, society, the Digital Revolution digitized, in the same way, said society.
Characteristics of the Information Society
Among the Characteristics that Define an Information Society, the Following Highlight:
- They are societies very much based on their use of it.
- They characterize by the large volume of information that flows through these ICTs.
- The interaction between individuals approves through these ICTs.
- Participating in ICTs is much easier.
- Communication is immediate and effective.
- The information is accessible to everyone.
- There is a lot of variety of opinions.
Origin of the Concept
The origin of the concept dates back to the 1960s. Thus, this concept arose in Japan, one of the most respected authors being the professor and sociologist.
In this way, individuals began to have access to those goods they and their environment produced while these barriers crossed. Although seen in material products at the beginning of the 19th century, it moved to information and knowledge with the advancement of technology.
The Increase in the Circulation of Information Brought Impact on Various Areas such as
- In the economy
It modifies the link between companies worldwide and improves their productivity. - In personal life
It promotes access to knowledge services and when interacting with others. - in social organizations
Structures become more horizontal and flexible, as well as facilitating feedback. In addition, the links become much broader: there are no physical or temporary barriers, and knowledge is cheaper.
The Benefits of the Information Society
The information society brings certain cultural, social, and economic benefits and, above all, freedom of expression and communication. Moreover, the existence of networks for dissemination of knowledge and ease of access put our disposal a large number of knowledge bases in any field that arouses our curiosity or needs to increase our understanding.
In addition, the ease of distributing any content and the relocation of activities that can immediately globalize are producing revolutions and social earthquakes of great intensity and short duration. The news does not take long to be updated with new information, satisfying the concerns of many people and organizations.
The Information Society as Part of Everyday Life
Until a few years before, the information society was just a concept. Later, it materialized and became a possible option. Today, this type of society has spread to all areas of our lives, especially in developed countries. Now it is almost an obligation.
In the maximum developed countries, we are talking about a fact so internalized that it goes unnoticed since the new generations are born in an environment governed by technological innovations. Thus, it is tough for them to imagine a world where these tools do not exist.
The cross of this growth in a world full of technology is the loss of social skills in a non-technological context. So much of what is on screens now was in people before. Thus, let us think, for example, of how different it can be to go to an information point and deal with a person face to face to ask a virtual assistant through a screen. It represents a radical change of view compared to the lifestyle of only two or three generations ago.
The information and knowledge society will continue to develop and involve more and more people in the future. In principle, this future is promising, potentially bringing a higher level of sustainability, prosperity, freedom, and, ultimately, possibilities on a professional and personal level.
It requires a personal commitment. The correct evolution of this new society depends on us and on the good use we make of the technologies that we have within our reach so that we all contribute responsibly to a more promising future at a technological level.
The Limits of the Information Society
Beyond technology, the development of the information society depends on a legal framework and adequate regulation. If this context works, the development of applications and services will benefit the community. However, if the opposite happens, the technology will only serve to generate contexts of impunity.
On the other hand, in continuous growth and change, this information society must avoid the social fractures from the digital divide. Thus, any popular medium must accompany training for users who somehow end up forced to use that medium. We can observe this phenomenon when, for example, the number of procedures that can be carried out only through the Internet increases. In addition, this digital divide has many variants, such as economic, geographic, gender, etc.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Information Societies
Although said company presents more advantages than disadvantages, it is worth highlighting the two sides of the coin to assess said idea objectively.
For this cause, the main advantages and disadvantages of information societies are set out below.
Among these Advantages, it is Worth Highlighting:
- There is greater access to information.
- It is immediate.
- Facilitates interaction between individuals.
- Facilitates globalization and the transfer of knowledge around the world.
- Promotes debate and diversity of opinions.
- It promotes productivity and efficiency due to its speed.
Among these Drawbacks, it is Worth Highlighting:
- The information is not always true.
- False information can go viral, generating confusion.
- The abuse of “fake news” can cause physical and moral damage to people.
- The volume of information makes it difficult to choose.
- They are very little personal societies, and very digital.
Conclusion
The Information Society brings many promises of social, cultural, freedom, and economic benefits that technology can make possible. The existence of global communication networks (the Internet is a clear example) and the growing availability of access to them from anywhere and through multiple devices.
The ease of sharing and distributing content of any nature, or the relocation of activities that they can immediately globalize, are revolutionizing the world and satisfying the needs of people and organizations.
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