1.6.1 Impacts of Digital Technology on Wider Society
In this lesson, you will explore how digital technology affects individuals, organisations and wider society. You will consider ethical, legal, cultural, environmental and privacy issues, and examine how the same technology can have both positive and negative impacts depending on how it is used and who is affected.
Digital Technology and Wider Society
Digital technology is used throughout modern society in areas such as communication, education, healthcare, transport, entertainment, banking, retail and employment. It can make tasks faster, safer and more convenient, but its use can also create new problems and concerns.
A stakeholder is a person or group that has an interest in, or may be affected by, the use of a technology. Different stakeholders can have different views about the same technology because they may experience different benefits, risks or consequences.
For example, CCTV in a public place may help the police investigate crime and make some members of the public feel safer. However, other people may feel that being continually recorded is an invasion of their privacy.
The wider impacts of digital technology can be considered from five main perspectives: ethical, legal, cultural, environmental and privacy issues. These categories can overlap, so the same technology may raise more than one type of issue.
Ethical Issues
Ethics is concerned with what is considered right or wrong. Ethical questions often involve deciding whether the use of technology is fair, responsible and likely to cause harm.
Something can be legal but still be considered unethical. For example, an organisation may be legally allowed to monitor certain employee activity, but some employees may still consider the amount of monitoring unreasonable or intrusive. Ethical questions often involve balancing the interests of different stakeholders.
| Issue | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Monitoring and Surveillance | Technologies such as CCTV, location tracking and workplace monitoring can improve safety or security, but may also make people feel that their behaviour is being watched too closely. |
| Automated Decision-Making | Computer systems can make decisions rapidly and consistently, but an incorrect or unfair decision may seriously affect an individual. Questions can arise over who is responsible for the outcome. |
| Bias in Algorithms and AI | Automated systems make decisions using data and rules or algorithms. If these contain bias, some groups of people may be treated unfairly even if this was not deliberately intended. |
| Access and Fairness | Increasing reliance on digital services may disadvantage people who cannot afford suitable devices, lack internet access or do not have the skills required to use them. |
| Automation and Employment | Automation can make organisations more efficient and remove repetitive or dangerous work, but it may also replace some jobs and require workers to learn new skills. |
One ethical issue that is particularly important to understand is automated decision-making. Automated decision-making occurs when a computer system analyses data and decides what action to take without a person making each individual decision. It can be used in areas such as banking, recruitment, emergency services and transport.
Automated systems can process large amounts of data quickly and may apply the same rules consistently. However, problems can arise if the data is inaccurate or biased, or if the decision is difficult to explain. This can lead to incorrect or unfair decisions, and can also raise questions about who should be responsible in such cases.
For example, an automated system that decides whether a person qualifies for credit could unfairly reject an applicant if the data or rules it uses are flawed.
Legal Issues
The widespread use of digital technology has created new situations that laws need to address. A legal issue concerns whether the use of technology follows the law. Laws can protect individuals, organisations and creators by setting rules about how computer systems, information and digital content may be used.
| Issue | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Unauthorised Access | Accessing a computer system, account or data without permission can be illegal, even if no information is stolen or damaged. |
| Personal Data | Organisations that collect and use information about individuals have legal responsibilities for how that data is handled and protected. |
| Copyright and Software Piracy | Digital technology makes copying and distributing software, music, films and other creative work very easy, but doing so without permission may break copyright law. |
| Fraud and Identity Theft | Stolen personal information or online accounts can be used to impersonate people or obtain money dishonestly. |
| Online Harassment | Digital platforms can be used to threaten, abuse or harass other people, and some forms of online behaviour may break existing laws. |
The laws that deal with personal data, unauthorised computer access and copyright are explored in detail in Lesson 1.6.2 Legislation Relevant to Computer Science.
Cultural Issues
Culture refers to the ideas, behaviour, customs, values and ways of life shared by groups of people. Digital technology has changed how people communicate, work, shop, learn and consume entertainment, which can influence culture and society.
| Area | Impact on Society |
|---|---|
| Communication and Social Media | People can communicate instantly across large distances and form online communities, but face-to-face interaction may decrease and harmful behaviour such as cyberbullying or misinformation can spread quickly. |
| Entertainment | Streaming services provide convenient access to films, music and games, but have changed traditional television, cinema, music and physical media industries. |
| Shopping and Banking | Online shopping and banking make services available from almost anywhere, but reduced use of physical shops and bank branches may disadvantage people who prefer or depend on face-to-face services. |
| Employment and Automation | Technology can create new jobs and remove repetitive or dangerous tasks, but some existing roles may disappear or require workers to develop new skills. |
| Cashless and Digital Services | Contactless payments and app-based services can be convenient, but people without suitable devices, internet access or digital skills may be excluded. |
| Globalisation | Digital communication allows ideas, media and culture to spread around the world quickly, but dominant global trends may reduce the visibility of some local cultures and traditions. |
Two cultural issues that are particularly important when considering the impact of digital technology are the digital divide and censorship.
Digital Divide
The digital divide is the gap between people who have reliable access to digital technology and the skills to use it, and those who do not. The divide can be caused by factors such as income, age, location, disability, lack of internet infrastructure or limited digital skills.
People affected by the digital divide may find it harder to access education, employment opportunities, online banking, government services or other services that increasingly depend on digital technology. For example, a person without a smartphone may have difficulty using a car park that only accepts payment through an app.
Digital technology can therefore improve access for many people while creating barriers for others.
Censorship
Access to technology is not the only cultural issue. Digital technology also raises questions about which information people should be allowed to access. Censorship is the deliberate restriction or suppression of information.
Organisations may block certain content for legitimate reasons. For example, a school may prevent students from accessing harmful or inappropriate websites.
Governments may also restrict access to online information. This can be used to prevent access to illegal or dangerous material, but it may also restrict freedom of expression and prevent people from accessing political or cultural viewpoints.
The cultural and ethical debate therefore involves deciding where protection should end and unnecessary restriction should begin.
Environmental Issues
Digital technology can have both negative and positive environmental impacts. Devices require resources and energy to manufacture and operate, but digital technology can also help reduce the use of other resources and support more efficient ways of working.
Manufacturing computers, smartphones and other electronic devices requires raw materials, including metals and minerals. Some of these resources are limited, and extracting and processing them can damage the environment.
Digital technology also requires energy. Devices, networks and large data centres consume electricity, and if this electricity is generated using fossil fuels, their use can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
Another concern is electronic waste (e-waste). When electronic devices are no longer wanted, they may be discarded even though they contain valuable materials that could be recovered through recycling. Electronic equipment may also contain substances that can harm people or the environment if it is disposed of incorrectly.
Frequently replacing working devices can increase these impacts by encouraging a disposable culture, in which more products are manufactured and more e-waste is produced.
However, digital technology can also have positive environmental impacts. Electronic documents can reduce paper use, while video conferencing and remote working can reduce the need for some journeys. Smart systems can monitor energy use and help reduce waste, while computer systems can support renewable energy and environmental research.
| Positive Impacts | Negative Impacts |
|---|---|
| Digital documents can reduce paper use. | Devices require raw materials and energy to manufacture. |
| Remote working and video calls can reduce some travel. | Computers, networks and data centres consume electricity. |
| Smart systems can monitor and reduce energy use. | Discarded devices contribute to e-waste. |
| Computers support research into renewable energy and environmental problems. | Frequently replacing devices can increase resource use and waste. |
Privacy Issues
Privacy is the ability of individuals to have some control over how information about them is collected, used and shared.
Digital technology makes it possible to collect large amounts of information about people's activities, interests and locations. This information can provide useful services, improve security or personalise content, but it can also become intrusive if individuals do not understand what is being collected or how it will be used.
| Technology | Potential Benefit | Privacy Concern |
|---|---|---|
| CCTV | Can deter crime and provide evidence after an incident. | People may feel that their movements and behaviour are being constantly recorded. |
| Facial Recognition | Can help identify authorised users or locate particular individuals. | People may be identified or tracked automatically without being fully aware of it. |
| Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) | Can manage parking and help identify vehicles. | It creates records of where and when vehicles have travelled or parked. |
| Location Tracking | Enables navigation, location-based services and emergency assistance. | Apps and organisations may collect detailed information about where a person has been. |
| Browser and Search Tracking | Can personalise services and make advertising more relevant. | Organisations can build detailed profiles based on a person's interests and online behaviour. |
| Workplace Monitoring | Can help organisations identify security problems and understand productivity. | Employees may consider detailed monitoring of their activity intrusive. |
| Social Media | Makes it easy to share information and communicate with others. | Users may reveal more personal information than they realise or lose control over who sees it. |
Privacy problems can also arise when information that has already been collected is not kept secure. A data breach occurs when personal information is accessed or disclosed without authorisation. A breach may expose information such as names, addresses, passwords or financial details and can lead to fraud or identity theft.
Privacy therefore often involves a balance between the benefits gained from collecting information and an individual's right to control information about themselves.
Discussing the Impact of Digital Technology
The impact of digital technology is rarely entirely positive or entirely negative. A balanced discussion should consider different stakeholders and recognise that the same technology may create benefits for some people while creating disadvantages or risks for others.
When discussing a technology, it is important to consider:
- who the stakeholders are;
- who benefits from the technology;
- who might be disadvantaged or harmed;
- whether ethical, legal, cultural, environmental or privacy issues are created;
- whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Consider the use of facial recognition in a shopping centre. The technology could help security staff identify known offenders and improve public safety. However, customers may be concerned that their faces are being analysed and that records of their movements could be created without their knowledge.
The shopping centre, security staff, customers and law-enforcement organisations are all stakeholders, but they may value security and privacy differently. This is why the impact of a technology should be considered from more than one point of view.