1.

) Digital Technology and Social Change

The internet and telecommunication industry in the 1990s changed the way we connect
and exchange information. Digital technology comprises of electronic tools, devices and
systems that generate, store and process data. It enables us to experience the benefits of
advanced information technology systems. In this lesson, we will discuss the digital age and
its effect in society, the two-essential theory in technology, and how technological change
takes place.

First is the Introduction to the Digital Age - Digital age, also known as Information age, is
a period when the computer and internet were introduced. These technologies enabled people
to communicate information easily and rapidly. House chores and jobs are getting automated
with the help of machines and equipment. Mobile phones became very useful in every areas
of life --- in education, entertainment, jobs, etc.

The ICT and its role in Social Change - Social change refers to a transformation of culture
and social organizations/structures over time. We are aware that in a modern world, a society
is never static and that of social, political, economic, and cultural changes occurs constantly.
The emergence of Internet, World Wide Web, mobile cell phones, digital television, and
several other new electronic devices pertaining information and communication technologies
(ICTs) are opening a fresh passageways for transforming the way we live, work, learn,
communicate.

This may include the following:

1.) Business
The impact of ICT infrastructure on social businesses cannot be understated. For
example, ICT helps to increase productivity in business with the use of social
Media platforms for marketing and promotion. Online platform has been the
marketplace where people can transact and communicate. It has made social
impact affordable, social impact scalable, and enables new ways to connect to and
engage with local communities.
2.) Education
ICT can play varied roles in developing an effective learning environment.
Modern ICT tools not only deliver the content but replicate formal learning
experience via virtual learning. The intention of virtual classrooms is to extend the
structure and services that accompany formal education programs from the
physical environment to learners. Digital technologies can unlock new learning
opportunities in the classroom. Some studies find that computer-assisted learning
has some positive effects, especially in science and mathematics. Access to
technology is certainly beneficial to students' digital skills. But the effects on other
learning outcomes are generally considered limited or potentially negative.

3.) Jobs and earnings

 The digital transformation has the potential to generate substantial changes in the
composition of the labor market. Digitalization can create employment in new and
existing industries, with greater job-to-job mobility. The digital economy also
fundamentally changes the nature of work for many people, with fewer physical
demands on workers but more jobs placing an emotional strain.
4.) Health
Digitalization can affect people's health through emergence of new physical and
mental health risks and through its impact on the health-care delivery system.
How and where care is delivered is also affected by digital innovations, which
challenges the traditional role of care providers. The effects of these changes in
healthcare delivery of health inequalities are potentially large but less well
documented.

Theories in Technology

Technological Determinism - The main reason why society progresses is because of the
kind technology the society has. Technological innovation is the cause of the social progress.
The technology has the control over the society -- over human actions, culture and values. In
other words the society is changing because of technology.

Social Constructivism - is the opposite of the Technological Determinism. It believes that

technology does not determine human action, but rather, human action shapes the technology.
Social Constructivism believes that humans play a main role in shaping technology rather
than technology shaping society.

Technological Change - Technology can be thought of as the change in the production

process of material and human skills. Technological progress comprises of creation of skill,
new means of production, new uses of raw materials and widespread use of machinery. The
various changes in technology leads to an increase in the productivity of labor, capital and
other production factors.

2.) IT Culture and the Society

Business challenges are not just about the devices, software or solutions - they are about
how we manage the process of cultural change. In this module we will learn what are the
different technological advancements and future trends in technology that could potentially
change and shaped the way we live our lives.

Internet of Things - The Internet of Things (IoT) is a growing topic of conversation both
in the workplace and outside. The concept has the potential to impact how we live and
how we work. What exactly is the "Internet of things" and what impact will it have on
you? In the "smart home," connected gadgets liberate us from our chores and give us back
some of our time. Internet-connected objects could be the key to unlocking predictions
about everything from consumer behavior to climate events. But they could also invite
hackers into personal spaces and leak intimate data.

How IoT works - An IoT ecosystem consists of web-enabled smart devices that use
embedded systems to collect, send and act on data. Devices do most of the work without
human intervention, although people can interact with them. Data is sent to the cloud or
to edge devices where it is analyzed or analyzed locally.

Why IoT is important - IoT enables companies to automate processes and reduce labor
costs. It also cuts down on waste and improves service delivery, making it less expensive
to manufacture and deliver goods. IoT provides businesses with a real-time look into how
their systems really work, delivering insights into everything from the performance of
machines to supply chain and logistics operations.

How Does This Impact You?- There are many examples for what this might look like or
what the potential value might be. It can help us understand and improve how we work
and live.

IoT Through the Years - The term "internet of things" was coined in 1999, but it wasn't
coined until the 1990s. The first internet-connected "thing" to make use of this new
protocol was a toaster. As home internet became ubiquitous, the dream of the smart home
started to look more like a reality. In 2014, Amazon introduced the Echo, a speaker with a
voice assistant named Alexa built in. The same year, Apple came out with HomeKit, a
system designed to facilitate interactions between Apple-made smart devices. It
demystified the internet of things for consumers and encouraged them to buy more
internet-enabled gadgets.

IoT benefits to organizations The internet of things offers several benefits to

organizations. Some benefits are industry-specific, and some are applicable across
multiple industries. Some of the common benefits of IoT enable businesses to:

• monitor their overall business processes;

• improve the customer experience;

• save time and money;

• enhance employee productivity;

• integrate and adapt business models;

• make better business decisions; and

• generate more revenue

Pros and cons of IoT Advantages of IoT

 • ability to access information from anywhere at any time on any device;
• improved communication between connected electronic devices;
• transferring data packets over a connected network saving time and money; and •
automating tasks helping to improve the quality of a business's services and reducing
the need for human intervention.

Disadvantages of IoT

• As the number of connected devices increases and more information is shared

between devices, the potential that a hacker could steal confidential information also
increases.
• Enterprises may eventually have to deal with massive numbers -- maybe even
millions -- of IoT devices, and collecting and managing the data from all those
devices will be challenging.
• If there's a bug in the system, it's likely that every connected device will become
corrupted.
• Since there's no international standard of compatibility for IoT, it's difficult for
devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other.

Consumer and enterprise IoT applications

There are numerous real-world applications of the internet of things, ranging from
consumer IoT and enterprise IoT to manufacturing and industrial IoT (IIoT). IoT
applications span numerous verticals, including automotive, telecom and energy. In
healthcare, IoT offers many benefits, including the ability to monitor patients more
closely using an analysis of the data that's generated. Smart buildings can, for instance,
reduce energy costs using sensors that detect how many occupants are in a room.

The Future of the Internet of Things

In 2017, Google announced Project Jacquard, an effort to create the connected wardrobe
of the future. This vision extends far beyond your clothes, and even your home. You'll
have smart offices, smart buildings, smart cities. The internet of things could also lead to
new kinds of cyber warfare. It could create new class systems: those with robot maids,
and those without.

Current Trends and Emerging Technologies- Innovations in IT change internal company

processes, but they are also altering the way customers experience purchasing and
support. Current trends are improving and presenting new functions in fields like
medicine, entertainment, business, education, marketing, law enforcement, and more. The
following trends are crucial areas to watch in 2019 and viable considerations that could
influence your future career choices.

Current Trends in Information Technology

 This may include: Cloud Computing, Mobile Computing and Applications, Big Data
Analytics, Automation.

Emerging Trends in Information Technology

a) Artificial Intelligence and Smart Machines - Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers

to computer systems built to mimic human intelligence and perform tasks such as
recognition of images, speech or patterns, and decision making. Five out of six
Americans use AI services in one form or another every day, including navigation
apps, smartphone personal assistants, ride-sharing apps, and home personal
assistant apps. Artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly being used in a variety
of industries to help solve problems such as missing people reports and identify
individuals for criminal investigations. Given patient information and risk factors,
AI systems can anticipate the outcome of treatment and estimate the length of a
hospital visit. Deep learning is one way AI technology gets applied to health
records to find out the likelihood of a patient's recovery and even mortality.

b) Virtual reality (VR) - is the use of computer modeling and simulation that
enables a person to interact with an artificial three-dimensional visual or other
sensory environment. In a typical VR format, a user wearing a helmet with a
stereoscopic screen views animated images of a simulated environment. The
illusion of "being there" (telepresence) is effected by motion sensors that pick up
the user's movements and adjust the view on the screen in real time. VR is known
for transforming the gaming and entertainment industry in particular, with
consoles and handhelds adapting their games for VR. But it is also beginning to
revolutionize other industries such as healthcare, retail and education. The
simplicity of buying a helmet-sized device that can work in a living-room, office
or factory has made HMDs center stage when it comes to Virtual Reality
technologies.

c) Augmented reality - is a more versatile and practical version of virtual reality, as

it does not fully immerse individuals in an experience. Augmented reality features
interactive scenarios that enhance the real world with images and sounds that
create an altered experience. One of the most popular ways AR has infiltrated
everyday life is through mobile games like "Pokémon Go" Another app uses the
smartphone's GPS and its camera to collect information about nearby restaurants,
stores and points of interest. Airports and furniture stores are using this mode to
lay out interior design options. Research continues apace on including AR
functionality in contact lenses, and other wearable devices. Careers in mobile app
development and design will be abundant, and information technology
professionals can put their expertise to use.

d) Blockchain Data - Blockchain in simple terms is a system of recording

information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat
the system. A blockchain is essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is
 duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems. This
system allows you to input additional data without changing, replacing, or deleting
anything.

e) The Internet of Things (IoT) - is an emerging movement of products with

integrated Wi-Fi and network connectivity. Cars, homes, appliances, and other
products can now connect to the Internet, making activities around the home and
on the road an enhanced experience. Use of IoT allows people to turn on music
hands-free with a simple command, or lock and unlock their doors even from a
distance. Voice recognition and command responses will allow you to access
stored data on cloud services.

f) 5G - is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G
enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and
everything together including machines, objects, and devices. With high speeds,
superior reliability and negligible latency, 5G will expand the mobile ecosystem
into new realms.

3.) Imaging and Design for Social Impact

What is Design for Social Impact?

Design for social impact is the practice of interrogating real-world systems—institutional,
economic, social, political, interpersonal—in order to define opportunities for change that
give voice to those who has been disenfranchised or marginalized by design. In essence, this
field of study provides a methodology for examining domains of power through Socratic
inquiry, structural and systems-based design thinking, and solutions-based design making.

Success in this arena is not marked by the production of an object or the completion of a
project, but through extensive research methodology, including observation, feedback and
assessment over the long term. Feedback, in fact, is a critical requirement of design for social
impact, in that it measures success not based on what the designer thinks has been
accomplished, but by the user’s needs, experiences and response. Social impact is measured
both by the immediate gains— does the system function as planned—as well as the organic
changes that occur when people engage in real time and space with those systems and power
dynamics. It is in the long-term that we hope change will be visible, not in the moment that
the design team completes the implementation of an idea.

Why Design for Social Impact

Change is a fundamental imperative of design. Design is change. It is imperative that
designers recognize the power they hold to create design that makes change that empowers
the voiceless and marginalized in society; that they understand their capacity to break down
systems of injustice by asking hard questions and implementing challenging solutions.

Collaboration is a fundamental driver of design. Design happens collaboratively, not as an

individual act of craft or art- making. As designers choose their partners, allies and
collaborators, they take the opportunity to choose the voiceless—who have critical insights
about human problems and needs to contribute—and that they include the marginalized—
whose perspectives are critical to making real change. They should not only include those
voices, but honor the leadership and knowledge they bring. Rather than presuming the mantle
leadership by default, designers for social impact facilitating the leadership of others as a
condition of engagement.

Failure is a fundamental asset of design. Designs that fail bring knowledge and insight in
their wake. Designers must be comfortable with the messiness of design as it applies to
human society. Society is messy. Justice is messy. People are messy. Designs that embrace
failure are better able to recognize the power of learning that comes when people come
together to take risks, listen to one another, try something completely new and are willing to
learn from their mistakes. Unlike design that sells a product, design for social justice requires
that openness to the messy, inconvenience of human existence.

References

• Muhammad Adam, Faisal. (2016). "Information and Communication Technology (ICT),

Social Changes and Transformation". 10.13140/RG.2.2.22371.60960.

• Debasish. “Technological Change: It's Meaning and Process.” Economics Discussion, 11

Aug. 2015, www.economicsdiscussion.net/articles/technological-change-its-meaning-
andprocess/4447. • Tikam, Madhuri V. “Impact of ICT on Education.” International Journal
of Inf

ormation Communication Technologies and Human Development (IJICTHD), IGI Global, 1

Oct. 2013, www.igi-global.com/article/impact-of-ict-on-education/102982.

• “The Social Impact of ICT.” Ericsson.com, 13 Dec. 2019, www.ericsson.com/en/reports-

andpapers/networked-society-insights/social-business/social-impact-of-ict.

• “Digital Age.” Digital Age Dictionary Definition | Digital Age Defined,

www.yourdictionary.com/digital-age.

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 https://productsofdesign.sva.edu/blog/what-is-design-for-social-impact#:~:text=About
%20Our%20Program-,What%20is%20Design%20for%20Social%20Impact
%3F,disenfranchised%20or%20marginalized%20by%20design.