ENGL 103 Research Paper: Information Technology Impacts on Society

This research paper, prepared for an ENGL 103 course, investigates the multifaceted impacts of information technology (IT) on society. The paper begins by defining IT and its components, then presents a thesis arguing that IT has more benefits than harms. It explores IT's positive effects on education, the labor market, and infrastructure, highlighting how technology has improved access to study materials, enhanced workplace efficiency, and facilitated advancements in transportation. The paper also examines IT's influence on personal and social lives, emphasizing the ease of communication and information sharing. However, it acknowledges the negative aspects, such as moral deprivation, unemployment, and the misuse of technology. The paper concludes by reiterating the significant and evolving role of IT in various sectors of society, acknowledging both the opportunities and challenges it presents, and it includes a comprehensive list of cited sources to support the arguments made throughout the paper.

Surname1
Student name
Instructor’s name
Course
Date
Information Technology and the Impacts in the Society
Introduction
In the current world, many activities have been made easier due to the increased level of
knowledge. Unlike the early days where the man had to use his physical energy in doing almost
everything, today through technology one is able to almost everything without using much of
your physical energy. Technology has brought many impacts to the way of doing different
activities and communication. Different types of technology as per the work that is required to be
done have dominated every sector in a country. “Cloud-first strategies are the foundation for
staying relevant in a fast-paced world,” Therefore, one needs to get a clear understanding of the
operations of the different technology to be able to fit in the world. The following is a research
paper that focuses on discussing information technology and the impacts it has to the society.
The paper partially discusses the challenges, the opportunities that information technology has,
and the effects on the operation of day-to-day activities of man.
Information technology comprises different components and areas of study. It is made up of
wireless devices computers cable television, electronic mails, the satellite of communications,
video games, videotext, networks and other components. It comprises the computer hardware

Surname2
and the software, and other computer services. It is whereby none is able to do a given task using
computer and the applications of the computer. It also involves the transfer of different messages
from one person to another using network. The use of the computer in performing different tasks
has both positive and negative impacts in the society. In general, the use of computers or the
application of IT in the performance of different activities increases the integrity and reliability
of the information being produced. It also increases information mobility where information can
be passed from one person to the other in a few seconds (Voogt &Joke).
Thesis statement
Now looking at the rapid growth of the information technology industries and the impacts it has
on the society, we tend to wonder how things will be in the next ten to fifteen years. How does
IT affect the performances of different people in their working areas and other activities? Is
information technology adding value to our life or it is just depriving the value that we have in
our lives. What will be the impacts of information technology on our economical life now that
information technology is taking over the field of entrepreneurship and most of the businesses
are turning into online marketing where they reach their customers through technology? The
devices used by different people in communication and access to different information have an
impact on the social life of the people. Are they affecting positively or negatively on the lives of
especially the youths or positively by increasing their value and building character. Information
technology has more usefulness than harm to the society. The evidences below give a clear proof
of the above statement.
To start with, information technology has led to the improvement of education. Lucky Dube said
“education is the key” this means that education is a very important aspect of life and needs to be

Surname3
taken care of. Information technology has made study materials available and one can access any
study material through the internet at any given time and place (Greenwood & Deborah pg 1015-
1027). This has made the work of the teachers and students easier for there is no need for them to
write a lot in class. On the other hand, technology is used to conduct classes and give assignment
without necessarily having the students in a class. Through different sites created through
information technology students are able to discuss class work and assignments in order to
improve their performances. Different assignments can be given to the students through the same
site and the teacher can mark and give feedback to each student in the same sight. This has
reduced the burden on the teacher and has increased efficiency in the education systems (Martin
& William).
Information technology has lead to improvements in the labor market and workplaces.
Communication and computers have made many impacts on the relationship between employees
and also the output of every employee in different organizations. It has increased the efficiency
of information distribution from one place to the other in the organization and outside the
organization. Managers are able to communicate to the employees without necessarily having to
meet with them face-to-face through different IT mediums. Work allocation and supervision has
been made easier as digital cameras are used to monitor the operations of the employees in an
organization. It has also enhanced teamwork among the employees because consultations and
sharing of valuable information can be done easily through phone calls or other communication
systems in an organization. Through organizations websites and different advertising media, the
organization human resource manager is able to advertise different positions vacant in the
organization. This has made the work of employment easier and efficient (Kinchin, Irina, and
Christopher pg 347).

Surname4
Information technology has also brought a great impact on the private lives of people and the
society. Information technology has made the distribution of information very easy and fast.
People and friend can share information through different mediums of communication.
Information technology enhances private life through the information shared on different
websites and social media. Many people are able to deal with the problem affecting their private
lives using different devices and valuable information from the internet. On the other hand,
information technology has also influenced the social life of people, as people can be able to
communicate different issues online without having to meet. This saves a lot of time and
maintains contacts of different people thus improving love and unity (Voogt &Joke).
Finally yet importantly, information technology has lead to the development of infrastructure.
Transportation and mode of travel improved largely because of the rapid growth of information
technology. Security of the mode of transport has also increased, as people are able to keep track
of the vessels. With IT traveling procedures becomes easier as one can book a flight online. This
reduces the time wasted when people book for the flight manually where they bring congestion
in the airport and thus waste of time. Through information technology, problems arising in
different mediums of transport are solved within a short time. For instance, IT is used to monitor
roads and bridges, which enhances safety in the mode of transport. Through the improvement of
infrastructure information technology has to lead to the development of different businesses thus
increasing the standards of living in different countries (Martin).
On the other hand, information technology has also affected the society negatively and has lead
to moral deprivation. The information made available to the people through information
technology is inclusive of bad information, which negatively affects the life of the people in the
society. Phonographic movies and other information, which spoils peoples mind, has led to

Surname5
character deprivation and increased immorality in the society. Information technology has also
led to the creation of unemployment as one person can handle the work of many people at ones
using a computer (Voogt & Joke). For instance, one person can do the work of storing
information in the computer, which is done by more than one person when it comes to manual
filing of the information in cabinets. Information technology has also led to wastage of time and
resources. People more so the youths spend most of their time on social media charting with
friends and sharing useless information. This takes much of their time to and yet there is a lot
that can be done with that time. Most of the youths do not even have time for themselves and
their family but are always online chatting with friends on social media (Silverstone & Roger).
Other than the impacts that information technology brings to the society the industries, it faces a
lot of challenges and weaknesses. The components involved in the industry are expensive and
needs many resources to be installed. On the other hand, some the technology can be used by
wrong people in implementing evil acts in the society. Regulati0on of these acts is the main
challenge that IT is facing. In addition, the use of networks sometimes may not be very safe for
hackers may access your information. Hacking of systems is, therefore, a great challenge facing
the information technology industries (Madon, Shirin, and Santosh Krishna).
Conclusion
In conclusion, information technology is an important aspect of the lives of people in the society.
It has created a great opportunity for the improvement of different sectors in the society in
economic, social and political life. Information technology has both negative and positive
impacts in the society. The rapid growth of information technology will lead to increased
negativity or positivity in the activities of people in the society. Information technology has

Surname6
positively affected education by making different study materials available for the students to use
in their study. It has also affected the personal life of a person positively and negatively. On the
other side information, technology has made business activities easier and has increased
efficiency in the operations of the business. The workforce in an organization and the working
environment has also been positively impacted and therefore increased in the business
production. The above data about the impacts of IT on the society shows that rapid growth in
information technology will continue to bring improvements in business, personal life and also
other also other aspects in the society.

Surname7
Work cited
Greenwood, Deborah A., et al. "A systematic review of reviews evaluating technology-enabled
diabetes self-management education and support." Journal of diabetes science and
technology 11.5 (2017): 1015-1027.
Kinchin, Irina, and Christopher M. Doran. "The economic cost of suicide and non-fatal suicidal
behavior in the Australian workforce and the potential impact of a workplace suicide
prevention strategy." International journal of environmental research and public health
14.4 (2017): 347.
Madon, Shirin, and Santosh Krishna. The Digital Challenge: Information Technology in the
Development Context: Information Technology in the Development Context. Routledge,
2018.
Martin, William J. The global information society. Routledge, 2017.
Silverstone, Roger. "Introduction." Media, technology, and everyday life in Europe. Routledge,
2017. 19-36.
Voogt, Joke, et al. "The International Handbook of Information Technology in Primary and
Secondary Education: Part 2." Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education
International Conference. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education
(AACE), 2017.