Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

We explain what Information and Communication Technologies are and what they are for. Advantages, disadvantages and examples.

What are the ICTs?

When we talk about ICT or Information and Communication Technologies , we refer to a diverse group of practices, knowledge and tools, linked to the consumption and transmission of information and developed from the vertiginous technological change that humanity has experienced in the recent decades, especially following the emergence of the Internet .

There is no clear concept of ICTs, however, since this term is used in a manner similar to that of the “Information Society,” that is, they are used to indicate the paradigm shift in the way we consume information. today, regarding past times. This has to do with areas as different as love relationships, corporate finance, the entertainment industry and even everyday work.

This means that the new Information and Communication Technologies have revolutionized our way of life, allowing the invention of new goods and services , new methods of commercialization and collection, as well as alternative means for the flow of information, which are not always legal or pass through controlled areas of society .

Unlike previous times, ICTs now allow us instant communication and across huge geographical distances, overcoming borders and promoting the global interconnection process known as globalization .

Advantages of ICTs

The virtues of ICTs are not difficult to enumerate: their greater speed, capacity and distribution of information allow users from different parts of the planet to connect using computers and other specialized devices, to communicate in multiple ways and undertake various transactions: buy and sell objects and information, share personal data , chat in real time, even play online video games even without speaking the same language.

This, no doubt, has revolutionized everyday life. The information that was previously in the books, in specialized services and databases , today is dispersed in the multiple corridors of the Network and can circulate much more freely and democratically, although at times in a much less organized way. The idea of the postal service and the messenger took a turn, too: a smartphone with camera and Internet connection is enough to share information with someone from the other side of the world.

Likewise, the TICs inaugurated areas of specialized work and new forms of consumption of goods and services, such as the Business Community Manager or the distance freelancers do . They have even left their mark on interpersonal and loving relationships, which no longer perceive distance as insurmountable.

Disadvantages of ICTs

Not everything is positive with ICTs. Among other things, they have promoted a dispersion of information , devoid of systems of cataloging and legitimization of knowledge , which translates into a greater degree of content disorder (as with the Internet) and even premature access to it, promoting ignorance and irresponsibility in the general public, unable to discern whether the sources are reliable or not.

Likewise, these new technologies have promoted an enormous exposure of personal and intimate life , in addition to the obligation of a permanent connection to the different virtual communities that have been established, giving rise to addictive or unhealthy behaviors, and new forms of risk. Cultural autism, social isolation and child hyperstimulation, as well as the enormous risks to privacy, are some of the problems that most concern about ICTs today.

ICT examples

Some examples of ICTs can be the following:

E – commerce . More and more services and products are offered through the Internet or applications on mobile devices, allowing the development of an immediate and international commercial branch.
Virtual communities . User networks that share related topics, passions or simply wish to expand their social circle, find digital spaces conducive to interaction over distances.
Instant Messaging . Services for computers or smart cell phones that allow immediate, efficient and direct communication, are increasingly used today.
Email . The digital version of the postal mail does not go out of style, since it allows not only the sending of written information but also of photographs and other attached files, the reception of which is, however, instantaneous, no matter how far the sender and the recipient are.