age

Age is also a contributing factor to the digital divide. Generally the younger generation is better at using computers as opposed to the older generation.  The younger generations grew up with computers so using technology comes naturally to them. In contrast the older generations learnt about computers when grown up. People are generally less likely to use something if they learn about it in later life as opposed to at a young age. This can cause problems as technology is increasingly common in daily life and the older generation may not know how to use it.
For example a Tesco shop installed fully automated checkout, meant to reduce queues. This is were people scan the bar codes of the objects they want to buy themselves and then use a credit card to pay. This was problematic because some of the older generation did not understand how to use it properly. The staff members could not provide proper instructions and refused to open a normal till insisting that the automated machine was used. This caused really long delays and a number of customers just gave up and left. (Daily mail)
To try and reduce this from becoming too great a problem "schools" are set up which teach the older generations basic computer skills. These include using email to communicate with family, online banking and shopping.
Although a lot of the older generation can not use computers there are some who can. These people have been giving the nickname “silver surfers” These people are very computer literate because they know how to do all the basics as well as the younger generation.

developed coutries

Resources (developed countries)

Access to resources is not such a large problem in developed countries as it is in developing countries. Everyone has access to electricity but some people do not have access to the internet. This is generally the case for farmers in rural areas because they are not near towns or cities so they are not connected to the underground cables which provide internet access.

This can result in farmers not earning all they could. This is because the farmers who have internet access sell online and therefore get a better price than those without internet access.

This problem is being solved because they government plans to get all of the UK connected to internet by laying more cables. Some farmers have decided to buy and lay the cables themselves instead of waiting for the government.

Mobile phone signal can become disrupted in hilly regions which can make it difficult for people to communicate. This is not a major problem because as new phones get released they have stronger signals meaning they are less likely to get disrupted.

3rd world countries

Resources (3^rd world)
In many 3rd world countries lots of people do not have access electricity supplies. This means that a lot of appliances will not work.  Another problem is that there is no network for mobile phones and the internet to connect to. This means the digital divide will increase because developed countries keep improving their networks while 3^rd world countries can not.
This means that it is difficult for people in 3^rd world countries to communicate with people elsewhere in the country. This creates similar problems as people not being able to afford technology. Farmers will not be able to communicate to get the best prices. Also contacting the emergency services is very difficult if there is no telephone network. 
A solution to this problem is the OX laptops. These laptops do not use much electricity because the screen is made visible by natural light and there are no moving parts that require electricity. This means an OX laptop can run for 24 hours non-stop. These laptops use alternative sources of electricity for power. These include solar cells built into the design so it can use solar power. Also the children can use a ripcord to generate electricity via movement. The laptops can connect with other laptops to form networks so children can communicate.
Mobile internet cafés are being built for poor areas. These travel the area and provide people with a connection to the internet when they are in the area.

developed coutries

Poverty in developed countries
Poverty contributes to the digital divide in developed countries as well as 3^rd world countries. Although the majority of a developed country can afford computers, laptops, phones and other technology, there are some people who can't.
This problem often affects children from poor families. They can struggle with school work as they do not have a computer at home to use for research. Also they will lack ICT skills which can slow down their work in the classroom. They will not be able to do research and a lot of work at home. When grown up, they will only minimalistic computer skills, meaning it will be very difficult for them to get job.
To remedy the problem, some schools are providing extra tuition on basic computer skills for struggling students.  A lot of schools provide computers for students to use when they are out of lessons. Some schools and a branch of the government provide funds to get basic laptops to poor children.
These solutions mean that when the children leave school they will know enough about computers to get jobs.

 Another problem is that nowadays mobile phones have a lot of other appliances built into them such as cameras, access to the internet and music players. These devices can cause problems as it makes the phones very expensive.  

from daily mail

 This article explains how a basic phone without any extras can now be sold for 99p. This could reduce the digital divide because more people will be able to communicate cheaply. However it could cause a problem if children start using these phones which could lead to health problems and very large phone bills.

3rd world

Poverty (3rd world)

The majority people in 3^rd world have a very small income, especially compared to people in developed countries. This means that they only just have enough money to live on and can not afford anything else. This means they can not buy any technology. Since developed countries keep getting more technology the digital divide will continue to increase until the income of people living in 3^rd world countries improves. This lack of technology means that people will not have a high income. For example, farmers will not be able to check prices in other places so will often not get the best deal possible for their crops. Also, because children do not get the chance to learn how to use technology they will only be able to get low paid jobs when they grow up. Lack of technology and low incomes create a vicious circle where one causes the other, so it is very difficult for the people to improve their lifestyle.

An idea that has been put in place to try and reduce the problem is called the “One Laptop per Child policy”. This is where children in poor countries are given a basic laptop that costs $100 to make. These laptops are known as OX laptops. These laptops are designed to be used in rough environments. This means that they can withstand impacts such as being dropped.

These laptops are often used to benefit the child’s education by having programs that teach the basic subjects (reading, writing, and arithmetic). These programs are written in a lot of languages so they can be used in many countries.

banking and online shopping (disadvantages)

There are disadvantages to using technology for banking as well as advantages.

If the connection from the shop to the bank goes down it means that no-one will be able to buy anything using their credit card. This means that the people will not be able to buy what they want and that the shop will not get as much money. Although a PIN is required to purchase something in a shop, only the card number is needed to purchase something online. This means that if a card is stolen the thief will not be able to use it in a shop but will be able to make purchases online. This means that the person who the card legally belongs to will lose a lot of money. If some-one reports a missing card to their bank it takes the bank a long time to sort it out. Also the bank will re-imburse people for stolen money provided the cartd is stolen. This can result in the bank having to pay out a ot of money which could lead to financial difficulties

Another problem with online banking is that there is now a lot of “virtual” money as well as real money. This is because a lot of companies now do all of their banking and business only. This could lead to problems such as hyperinflation when there is not enough real money to equal the value of the virtual money.

A major problem with ATMs and card readers is that people are hacking into and modifying them. This hack means that the reader records all information on the card and sends it to the hacker. This means that criminals can gain access to the information on a card without having to get hold of the actual card.

There are disadvantages to online shopping as well.

A common one is that when people are buying objects off other people via the internet the products are not in a good condition and possibly do not work as they are meant to. Another problem is that because the general public are setting the prices there is no standard for them to use. This means that some of the prices can be ridiculously high for the product.

A problem with making reservations over the phone is that it is possible for companies to double book an appointment. This means that there are 2 appointments booked for the same time. This can lead to problems as one person may not get the service they have reserved. This can be very annoying for the person and can make them stop going to that company. Sometimes if companies double book a person is given the service at another time free of charge. This is to try and keep the customers so they keep going to that business. However providing a service for free means that the company loses money when it is trying to gain money.

banking and online shopping (advantages)

Teschnology has had a vast affect on how people bank and shop.
The main example of this is the use of credit cards. People carry around credit cards instead of a lot of money. Each credit card is linked with the bank that the person saves their money with. To buy something a person puts their credit card into a machine in the shop. The machine then scans the magnetic strip on the back of the card to obtain information. The person enters their PIN (personal identification number). This results in the money being transfered from the person's bank account to the shop. This is advantgeous as it means that people do not have to carry around a lot of money and that the transactions happen very quickly.
 The PIN is required because if a card gets stolen the thief will not be able to use it to make a purchase that is paid for from some-one else's bank account. 

Another use of credit cards is that they enable people to get money out of ATMs (automated telling machines). This means that people can go to the bank and get money out whenever they need it. This is a lot quicker than what happened in the olden days when people had to go into a bank and get a person to get some money out of their account.

A lot of banking is done online now. This means it is possible for someone to manage their finances and bank details from home. This means that it is a lot easier for transactions to be made, without a person having to go into their bank branch.


Online shopping has been made possible because of technolgy. Before the invention of phones and the internet all business had to be done face to face. Now almost anything can be acquired via the internet.

There are websites that enable people to buy products either direct from a company or via a second company. (video of amazon)
These websites are useful because they enable people to buy products which are in good condition without having to leave their house. Some of these websites also offer delivery services for the product as well. This is useful as it means that heavy packages get delivereed to the person's door.

Another type of commercial websites are ones where people sell items to the general public.
(video of ebay)
This is useful as it means that items are being moved around and used by another person instead of thrown away as rubbish. Also it is possible for people to find rare purchases that could not be found in a shop.

Telecommunications have made it possible to phone a company and make a reservation. This is often used to book seats at restaurants. A person phones up and requests for a table to be reserved at a certain time on a certain date. This means that they will have a seat when they arrive and will not have to take the chance that there are no spare tables.

technology, work (disadvantages)

There are some disadvantages in regards to how technology has affected working styles.
The main one is that the increased use of communications means that workers have less time to spend with family and friends. This is because of the use of blackberries. It is quite common nowadays for some-one to be doing something with their family or friends only to have their blackberry start ringing. As they are high level employees they are expected to respond to a problem wherever they are. This means that they have to stop what they are doing and check the message. If the people do not respond quickly to the message it is likely that they will get in trouble at work.

Another disadvantage is that improvements in technology have made a lot of people redundant. This is usually the case with assembly lines. Before assembly lines become automated there was likely to be several hundred people working on an assembly line. However after the assembly lines became automated all these people were no longer needed to work there so they were out of a job. Only a few highly trained professionals are needed in assembly nowadays. It is their job to make sure everything is working smoothly and to quickly fix any problems that occur.
Similarly many older people have had to learn how to use computers if they want a job. This is because nearly all jobs involve using computers and therefore the companies will only employ people who are computer literate. This can cause problems because the courses people need to go on to learn how to use computers are often expensive. This means that people may not be able to afford to go on these courses. Also these courses require a lot of time to complete. This means that people may not be able to find time to go on the course or that they may have to stop doing something else.

ICT and work (benefits)

The use of technology has greatly changed the way people work. There are a number of reasons for this.

Firstly the use of word processors have greatly improved the speed at which some-one can put something into text. The work could be a report on something or a list of products to name a couple of examples. Being able to produce a piece of work quicker means that the efficiency of the company will improve as well as how much work an individual can get done. Most word processors also have tools which highlight spelling and grammatical mistakes and provide options on how to fix them. This reduces the amount of time needed to proof read the work. All word processors enable people to change a part in a document without having to start again or change the whole thing. This is useful as it means people can quickly correct mistakes or modify a part of the document, possible due to a slight change in what is required. Word processors also have a function which lets people find any word in a document and replace it with another word. This is useful if a lot of pieces have to be produced that are all slightly different, i.e. letters.

Another way in which technology affects the way people work is the use of spreadsheet programs. Spreadsheets enable people to make very large tables to store information in. The information is usually numerical. Spreadsheets are very useful as they provide multiple calculations to use on the data. These calculations include adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and finding the average of large amounts of data. This is very useful as it is far more accurate than working out by hand. Also it is possible to select groups of data for these calculations meaning it is quicker than typing it all into a calculator. Spreadsheets also make it easy to group data together so it is easier to see. Speadsheets are often used to show amounts of stock in a shop and when to order more. Similarly speadsheets are also used in manufacturing processes as they can be used to keep track of the amount of raw materials being delivered and the amount of products being shipped out. Spreadsheets are very useful because they can put the data into graphs allowing people to see trends in the data.

The improvements technology has made to communications have also affected the way people work. The virtually instantaneous communications mean that it is a lot easier for a worker to send a message to another worker and get a reply. These messages can include; asking some-one to do a job, asking how to do part of a job or sending a completed bit of work to be reviewed. Also fast communications mean that it is easier to contact parts of a company in other parts of the world. This is especially useful for journalists because they can find a story, type it and send it to the company quickly. The company will normally receive the story soon after it is sent even if the journalist is on the other side of the planet. A lot of companies now give important employees blackberries. A blackberry is a mobile communications system. It is different from a mobile phone because it can receive emails as well as calls and texts. These are given to employees so the company can immediately contact them if something occurs that needs to be sorted out. This means that a problem could be solved the evening it occurs, instead of having to wait for the person to come to work next morning.

Another aspect of how technoly has changed working styles can be seen in shops. Whenever a product is taken to a till a machine reads the bar code on the product. A barcode is a set of vertical lines of varying degrees of thickness. Every product in a shop has an individual barcode. This barcode tells the computer what the item is and how much it costs. Multiple items can be scanned this way, with the computer remembering the whole list and displaying the total cost at the end. This is more reliable than a human adding all of this up as computer sare less likely to make mistakes.

Another way technology has affected the way people work is through the use of automated assembly lines. This is where computers control robots to produce vast numbers of identical products very quickly. This is useful as it means that the products are made a lot quicker comapred to humans making them. This will greatly increase the efficiency of a company. Computer controlled robots do not need to rest and are far more accurate than humans can be. This means that they can work almost non-stop and with far greater precision.

Blogger

A website that allows people to make and maintain a blog is blogger. Blogger is a service provided by Google
(video of blogger)
This video shows how it is possible to change what features appear in a blog. These include a label list. This shows the labels that have been given to blogs. This is useful as it groups similar blogs together and makes it quicker and easier to find a post about a certain subject. Another useful feature is the blog archive. This lists all the blogs that have been published in date order. This is useful to either find a specific post or to find all posts that were uploaded in a given amount of time. The labels on blogs also make it useful for the author of the blog to find a specific post. This can be because the author wants to modify said post. Blogger also enables the author to either publish a post immediately or save it as a draft to finish working on it later. This means that the author does not have to finish the post in one go and add changes to it later.
The main disadvantage with blogger is that while it shows the posts in date order it does not put modified posts on the top of the list. This is problematic because it means that if the author changes something in a post that was created a while ago very few people will be aware of these changes.
(2nd video of blogger)
Blogger also has a feature which enables the author to change what the blog looks like. This means that the blogs can look more professional. Also, dyslexics often find it easier to read something that has a black background and white text as opposed to the conventional white background with black text.

ICT communication disadvantages

The improvements that technology have created in regards to communication have created problems as well as benefits.
The main disadvantage is that these methods of communication can be very distracting. The main example of this is that a lot of people use their mobiles while driving. Although this is illegal, a lot of people ignore this rule. Using a phone while driving is very distracting and can lead to the driver not paying attention while on the road. This means that there is a greater risk of accidents and crashes happening which can be fatal.
Trinity Taylor, 23, died in 2005 after a lorry driver hit her car. The lorry driver in question was talking on his mobile at the time of the accident. The driver was jailed for 4 years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-480348/Drivers-risk-years-jail-using-mobile-phones.html

Another concern with the use of technology for communication is that it can result in people finding it harder to talk to people in real life and losing their social skills. This is because people talk a lot online using instant messaging services.On instant messaging services people use abbreviations and ... for phrases. Some examples of these abbreviations are "LOL"(laugh out loud) and "GTG" (got to go). Although this can make people more sociable online it can cause them to have social difficulties when speaking to some-one in person. This can cause a problem because online communication does not convey nearly as much meaning as face to face communication. Only 5% of what people say is said in words. The rest of the meaning is conveyed either in the tone of voice a person is using or their body language. Instant messaging, text and email can not convey tone or body language. A phone call can convey tone of voice but not body language. Only video-calls can convey both tone and body-language, but video calls are not very common.

communication benefits

ICT has had a dramatic effect on the way people communicate.
The main example of how technology has affected communication is mobile phones. Mobile phones enable people to communicate instantaneously with each other almost anyway on the planet. Mobile phones work by sending a signal containing the data for what is said. This signal is picked up by a mobile phone relay station. This signal is then sent to another mobile phone relay station and "bounced" towards a mobile phone relay station that is near the person you are phoning. Being able to communicate with a person instantly has obvious advantages. These include; just phoning some-one to have a conversation, or a business contacting some-one if a problem has arisen and they immediately need to speak with a person to resolve it.

 

All mobiles also have the ability to send a text to some-one else. A text is a short message typed into a phone and sent via the same method as a phone call. The person who has received the text can then reply to it and send a different message back to the original sender. Texts are useful if the message is small as it can be quicker to send a small text than phone some-one and have a conversation. Also texting is good if a person is in an area where they have to be quiet.

All phones have memory which enables phone numbers to be stored then accessed at a later date. This is very useful as it means that people do not have to remember the phone numbers of the people they want to call. This helps because all mobile numbers are at least 10 digits long and very few have any obvious pattern.

Many phones now have extra features to enable them to connect to the internet, take photos and perform many other functions. This is useful as it means that people can access what they want wherever they are.

Email is the process of sending a message from one computer to another via the internet. Email is virtually instantaneous and is cheaper than sending a message in the conventional way. Emails are sent, received and replied to using computers. Recently it has become possible for people to access email programs via their mobile phones. Using email has very similar benefits to using mobile phones. This is because both send the message almost instantaneously. There is another advantage to email because it is possible to attach any file, whether it is text, images, audio or movies, to an email and send them along with it so the person who receives it can also view those files.

Instant Messaging (IM) is similar to email in that a message is sent almost instantaneously via the internet. However with emails people often have to wait a little while for a reply. With instant messaging the person receives the message immediately and normally replies within a couple of minutes. Normally large messages are not sent through instant messaging. Normally people send a small phrase to a couple of sentences, which the other person replies to in kind.
(editted picture of facebook chat)


Video-calls are a relatively new type of technology that enable a person to see a live video with audio capabilites of the person they are communicating with and vice-versa. This is used a lot for important meetings for businesses. This is useful because it means that the people can see who they are talking to even if they are in separate parts of the county. This is useful for companies because information can be shown along with the person. Video calling is also useful for normal conversations. It creates a greater impression of actually talking to person as compared to using a phone. This is because the person can see who they are talking to and their body language.  

ICT and education, disadvantages

There are disadvantages of using ICT for education as well as benefits.
The main problem is that it is a lot easier for students to get distracted if they are using computers. This can lead tpo them not doing there work and going on sites like facebook and youtube instead. However, teachers are getting better at preventing this because most schools have a system that records all the websites that students visit. This is not the case at home though for many students. Since most parents do not watch their children doing homework, the children are free to go on sites that are not related to work.

Another problem with how ICT affects education is the use of blockers. Blockers can prevent access to certain types of sites. Blockers are set up in schools to prevent the students accessing inappropriate websites. These generally do a good job in that they prevent certain sites from being seen. However, soom of these blockers are too severe and block sites needed for school work. An example of this is; a blocker once blocked wikipedia under the catergory of gambling simple because the word gambling was on the web page. This resulted in students struggling to find the reseach they needed. This problem of blockers is made worse by the fact that a lot of websites have adverts on them to generate revenue for the compnay that made the web page. This is problematic as blockers check the contents of the adverts as well as the actual site which can also cause appropriate sites to be blocked.

The cost of using ICT for education has resulted in a number of schools not using it. This is because it is very expensivew to set up and maintain. Normally the cost of using ICT is the largest part in the school budget.

ict and education, benefits

The use of ICT in school environments has had a big impact on the education system.
Students are able to search the internet for research and any useful pictures to accompany this research. The main search engine that is used is Google.
(video of google)
This video shows that google makes it possible to search for a topic and then find an appropriate page of information. It then shows how it is possible to search for pictures.
Another useful website for research is wikipedia.
(video of wikipedia)
This video shows that wikipedia can recognise a word in different contexts and enable the person to choose which context they want. Wikipedia gives a brief description about the topic and then does into further detail. Wikipedia pages also have links to other pages that could be relevant. Wikipedia also has pictures on the pages to make it easier to understand what is being explained or described. The main problem with wikipedia however is that sometimes the information is very advanced and complicated, especially with articles relating to science or technology. This makes it very difficult to understand for anybody who has not studied the subject in great detail.

ICT in education also lets the students do work on line and have marked electronically
(Video of mymaths)  

Video shows how mymaths shows any outstanding tasks to be done along with online revision. People can also search for tasks that have not been set if they feel that they need to revise a subject. Anywork done is marked electronically giving the results immediately. It shows the correct answer which can be useful. However it does not explain where the student might have gone wrong.

Another use of ICT to benefit education is interactive white-boards. These are installed in a lot of classrooms.  These enable the teachers to bring something up on their computer and then show it to the whole class at the same time using a projector. This means that the teachers will not need to spend as much time explaining how to do something. Also the teacher can show the class computer resources that would not be available for them if the white boards were not there. Most of these boards have special wireless "pens" which can be used to select certain things on the board. This is useful as it means the teacher can draw the class'  attention to something. The lines these "pens" mark can be erased when they are no longer needed. A lot of these boards are also touch-screen. This means that the students can use them to do tasks while showing everyone else what to do as well.

Another useful feature of ICT are websites that students can go on to revise parts of the syllabus. A useful website for this is BBC bitesize

(video of bitesize)

This video shows that there are multiple subjects on bitesize, most of the main curriculm subjects. It is possible to select a subject and then select more detailed aspects that a person needs to revise. The explainations are straight to the point but are still easy to understand. There are also questions and tests so a person can check their understanding of the topic that was just covered.

about posts

I have not been able to update my blog because for the topics I am covering I am using a lot of videos. However for some reason I can not upload the videos to blogger without my computer crashing.