Information Technology and Ethical Issues

Well here we go..This is my first actual blog post :)

Over the next term I will be posting about different topics that we cover in one of my classes. This is all new to me so sorry if I end up waffling too much or just sound completely random! This first post is around the topic of Information Technology and Ethical Issues.



Schneider (2012) states that information technology " is the use of computers and software to manage information" and Dictionary.com (2012) states it is: "the development, implementation, and maintenance of computer hardware and software systems to organize and communicate information electronically".

I too agree with these definitions but if I was to define 'information technology' myself I would also add that I believe I.T does not just mean computers anymore as now days we have iPods, phones and tablets that can transfer and hold information. These technologies are also developing day by day as new versions get released more often.

This video is a small look at what information technology is today and it definitely shows the development of technology in today's century, especially in how we communicate information electronically. Information is now all around us and it is uncommon for the majority of people in western society to have no contact with society. Its now in the latest flat screen televisions that can connect to sky or the internet or the fact that many people now own their own computer or laptop, some even own a tablet like an iPad, or the fact there will soon be more cellphones in the world than there are people and the latest touch screen phones, such as the iPhone, can do pretty much everything you need- email, photos, videos, skype, phone calls, txts and even can be used as a torch! Western society has changed with technology as develops. It is now uncommon for a business to run with out technology. Doctors can now enter information into their desk computer, Occupational Therapists can now store SOAP notes on their computers about their clients, Medlab workers can send patient information away via email and teachers can record their students learning or reports on the computer and email out their results. Many business's have also made their companies accessible through internet by making websites or facebook pages detailing what their business is about and adding photos. Basically technology has made everything at our finger tips. I just recently signed up to internet banking. This has been around for a few years now but I have never really needed it but now that I have it I use it all the time and wish I had got it sooner! A few of my classmates rolled their eyes when I told them and they explained how they were past that and now use phone banking..even I can't keep up with technology and I'm not even in my twenty's yet!

I feel that I am comfortable using I.T as it's development is helping me and expanding what I can do. I.T is incredibly useful for me as I study as I constantly have to use the internet to retrieve, find and enter data (such as this blog :) ). The ever increasing internet information has become a big part in my life as well as the social network bases. Some would say I am a little addicted to Facebook... ;) but I find this network site to be very useful for communication. Facebook has become such a huge network as people of many ages are using it to keep in contact. I hardly ever use the land line now and I feel I am moving away from even txting people as I find talking to them on Facebook to be more enjoyable and preferable to me. This does worry me a little! Although it does make calling someone a kind of exciting act, seeing as it is a rare thing.

I find the development of I.T is moving very quickly, sometimes too quickly. Cellphones are getting new connection deals therefore making old ones not work anymore, the same for t.v channels at the moment- soon everyone will need to have a t.v with freeview- what are poor students like myself meant to do with our perfectly good old t.vs when we dont have spare cash for a freeview box? This is an example of technology making us change- this does not make me comfortable. Also the fact that the older generation in today's society do not all use technology as the younger generation do. What are they meant to do when all this technology changes around them and they are still stuck in the past? If their grand children are anything like me they will get sick of teaching granddad how to send that email for the 100th time (I still love you Granddad ;) ).

In my past placement I have seen I.T be used when my superviser  entered her SOAP notes for her clients into a computer program. This meant that she could organise and store her notes on the computer and easily find them if she needed them. Also in another placement I saw the service use photos from the setting to put onto their website to show the general public what they did there. I can't see many issues around these O.T's using I.T apart from the fact that computers break down and if that was to happen to the first O.T's computer she could potentially lose all her notes.

I feel that I.T has a further great role to plan In O.T intervention, especially with the generations today that need O.T help and are used to an everyday life using I.T. I know that my lecturers use I.T a lot for their own research on the internet but also when they use email to email their students, post work for them on moodle and also refer to internet links in class for learning purposes. I.T is a very useful tool for research in the ever changing medical world as there is a constant need for O.Ts to stay up to date with the latest terms, medicine, equipment etc. I feel that I.T can also be used in rehabilitation as a way of getting the attention of younger clients and helping people get back to their everyday lives seeing as may will have some connection with a computer.

Ethical implications can and do arise from the high use of I.T these days. It is not uncommon for people to receive txt or cyber bullying seeing as it is so easy to get a cell phone number or find someone on, say, Facebook. For this reason I.T can have a negative effect. Other problems to do with private information being shared can relate to social networks and emails. My own hotmail account recently got hacked and unfortunately a lot of my contacts got sent spam messages (sorry guys!). It is so easy for technology wizz's to do this type of hacking these days which is definitely an ethical implication, especially if they steal your personal information and pretend to be you.

Therefore I conclude that although I love technology, I feel its fast adaption is moving too quickly with little education around the negatives around I.T today.

Be back soon for my next post :)

Shan











Reference List


information technology (2012). In Dictonary.com. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/information+technology?s=t


Schneider, L. (2012). Information Technology - Definition and History. In About.com. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/careersintechnology/p/ITDefinition.htm