The rapid developments in ICT had a dramatic effect on modern society.
(i) Many jobs have been lost because:
- ICT can make someone more efficient at their job, a company can therefore employ less people to complete that job.
(ii) For example:
- In a factory, skilled technicians and machinists can be replaced by computercontrolled robots which can work faster, for longer and more consistently.
- In a factory, many dirty and dangerous monitoring jobs have been replaced by data-logging equipment using sensors.
- In a factory, many quality control jobs involved routine sampling and were very boring, many have now been replaced by automatic machines.
- In a warehouse, many loading and sorting jobs have been replaced by a few staff running a computer-controlled warehouse.
- In an office, many typists can be replaced by one person using a word processor.
For example documents can be saved and reloaded for editing rather than being re-typed and mail merging can be used to create apparently custom-typed documents.
- In an office, many payroll clerks using calculators and paper-based records can be replaced by one person using a spreadsheet to calculate a company’s payroll.
- In an office, many clerks updating paper-based files in filing cabinets can be replaced by one person using a database.
- In a telephone exchange, operators have been replaced by computer systems that make the phone connections automatically.
- In a car park, the car park attendant can be replaced by automatic ticket machines and barriers using control technology.
- In a shop, stock control staff can be replaced by automated bar-code readers recording items entering the building and being sold.
- In a bank, due to ATM machines, less cashiers are needed inside the bank to deal with customers.
- Working with ICT requires new skills and many workers found it difficult to retrain because they found the new skills hard to learn.
- Converting a business to make use of ICT can be very expensive and many small companies could not afford to make the change.
- Many jobs have been created because:
(iii) Computerization has created many new jobs or radically changed existing jobs. For example:
- Engineers are needed to build the new computerized machines.
- Programmers are needed to write the new programs that the computers run.
- Systems analysts are needed to design the new computerized systems.
- Skilled workers are needed to operate the new computerized machinery.
- Skilled workers are needed to use new software such as graphics packages, web- design software and CAD programs.
- More staff may be needed because of the increased business generated by improved efficiency.
(iv) Many jobs have changed because:
- People may work less hours as a result of the increased efficiency of automation and the introduction of ICT into their workplace.
- New skills are needed to use the computer software and hardware. Pupils who gain ICT skills during their education, as well as staff who are prepared to retrain, are well placed to take advantage of the new forms of employment.
- Highly skilled jobs can now be done by unskilled staff using a computer. A skilled machinist can be replaced by someone operating a computerised lathe. This can result in a more standardised product because there is less risk of human error.
- Many professional jobs can now be done by amateurs using a home computer. For example, photographic editing, video editing and sound editing.
- Many people can now work from home using teleworking.
- Students can educate themselves more easily due to the huge amount of educational software resources and information now available, much of it interactive and allowing then to self-assess.
- In many jobs, the efficiency of staff can now be accurately monitored by computers, this can help target resources but can be very stressful if staff set unrealistic targets.
- Communications equipment means employees can be available and able to work even when on holiday or weekends. This can be stressful on individuals and families.
- Employees can have more job satisfaction because the jobs involving some aspect of ICT generally require higher skill levels and may therefore be less boring.
