The Digital Divide

The Digital Divide refers to divide between people caused by the advancement in technology in some countries where others do not have the resources to come close to creating these machines or the infrastructure to access broadband.

 Its meaning is not just that of countries but of age groups as well i.e. the typical elderly person has no concept of how to work a computer or what they can be used for.  The Internet has a variety of Supermarkert websites e.g. Tesco's website, where customers can shop for their products online and have them delivered to their own homes. For Disabled or Elderly people, who are unable to shop normally in the supermarket, this is a huge convenience.

However, the Elderly and other families with low incomes may not have the money to pay for an Internet connection or computer. Due to this, they are missing out on special offers, the ease of banking online and even the general education that can come from the internet.

Gaming Online

Advantages

Gaming Online allows many people to play games and communicate with each other regardless of the distance between each other, whether it is in the next room or the other side of the planet. Some games feature the ability to play with people all over the world and also feature the option to restrict how far away their competitors can be. Online Gaming allows its users to download games on demand, as opposed to going into the town to buy the games in store. Also, there is DLC (Down-Loadable Content) which is usually bought using the same method as Games on Demand.

Disadvantages

There has always been speculation regarding video games since the introduction of Fighter and Shooter games as there is always the underlying possibility that these types of games can encourage violence in the real world and even desensitises people to violence. Also, it is easy to become addicted to them and, as said above, playing violent games can lead to violent behaviour in some people. Young people that spend a lot of their time playing games are not involved in sports or other outdoor activities and this can lead them becoming over weight causing health problems such as high blood pressure etc. which has serious effects on their childhood.

Threats

In extreme but realistic cases, the violent behaviour caused by video game (among other things) can lead to Domestic Violence which is why it is recommended that video games be played in moderation. Also the addictive side of games can cause a break down in relationships causing the addicts communication skills to deteriorate quickly as they become more and more addicted leading to obsession.  

Jobs in the IT Industry

Advantages

Working with IT has many advantages, such as the easiness to create charts with Excel for business jobs and Word Processing documents for reports etc. Working in the IT industry is of the most common job roles on Earth and with the job roles come many advantages for both people and the companies. People are able to learn how to fix computers so computers actually have an extended life span.

Disadvantages

If a person spends many hours at their workplace on a computer, their person, social and family lives may suffer accordingly. Not every business in the world has access to computers which is a huge disadvantage, especially to a company with dedicated workers which would do extremely well otherwise. This can also affect companies who need a faster form of communication to these companies.

Threats

People working in the IT industry Jobs in the IT Industry are almost certainly very useful. But companies will employ people who create Viruses and forms of Spyware and Malware to destroy their rival’s systems.

Apple Inc. iPad

Advantages

As a computer, it features everything a normal PC has including personal folders and Internet accessibility. There are over 35,000 Applications available for the iPad from the Apple Inc. App Store, more than any other form of PC in the world. These can range from reading books, to teaching music, downloading images of X-Rays and charts for medical purposes and playing games. Its weight is between that of the average Tablet PC and a Laptop computer and because it is also an open-faced PC, combined with its light-weight and it is also the most portable computer system ever created. It also runs the same system as the iMac, used by the biggest media companies in the world for their work, meaning that the iPad will soon replace it giving these companies the freedom to work on the move.

Disadvantages

Although the size of the iPad is a good thing in most ways there is also the fact that if dropped from a certain height or enough times, it will break, very easily although there is now a case to go with the iPad that is designed to protect it from external damage. They are easy to hide in a thin space so they are easily stolen from out of an open bag or when it is sitting out in the open.

Threats

Due to the advantages of the iPad are the threats that they pose. As with my posts on social networking and instant messaging the iPad is obviously going to be very addictive to its users, which could lead to a degrading social life for iPaddicts.

Social Networking

Advantages

Much like emails, Social networking allows people to communicate through sending messages along with the ability to post pictures and web links on other people’s walls. These websites, again like emails, allow people to keep in contact with each other from long distances and cost absolutely nothing to join or use. Some of the social networking sites feature an instant messenger system allowing people to have a conversation in real time rather than sending full messages back and forth. Social networking sites are often not hard to get used to in terms of using them. When adding a person as a friend on Facebook the person you have added must confirm that they know you. Otherwise you cannot post anything on their wall.

Disadvantages

Although denying permission to be friends with someone you don’t know or want to communicate with is a huge advantage, the person still has the option to send you messages without consent; this is called spamming. people are easily addicted to Social networking sites and it can take up many hours of their lives leading to problems in their real social lives because there is no inscentive to meet with friends in person because they believe that talking to them online produces the same effects.

Threats

There is no guarantee that the person you’re talking to is who you think they are. If you are sure you are talking to a family member or very close friend, you could be very easily persuaded to freely give out personal details leading to serious complications. Cyber-Bullying is a huge problem with social networking sites and cannot be avoided easily.

Shopping Online

Advantages

You can shop anytime during the day or night, it never closes (24 hr service). People who have physical disabilities can be restricted from leaving the house without a carer and so shoppping online and this allows them to do their weekly shopping without any difficulties. There are also some bonuses to shopping online with certain shops such as Tesco and other large shopping chains that send you discount vouchers for shopping with them. Shopping online usually involves having the shopping delivered to your house which is also very helpful and saves you carrying all the shopping to your car and having to unload it all etc.

Disadvantages

Shopping Online does not have a restriction for people who are able to go out and do the weekly shop normally and so this is taken advantage of by people who are just being lazy and this can cause a delay in the delivery times for people who actually cannot physically do the weekly shop.

 There is usually a shipping cost when having the items delivered to your house. Depending on the company you bought off, the charge could be a fixed rate or varies depending on the amount being delivered. Importing goods such as games from another country is popular, especially when the goods are not available in your own country at the time. Buying from overseas can be fairly expensive.

When companies send out orders it is unlikely but possible that they could send out the wrong packages to people causing a lack of trust with both the company that messed up and online shopping in general. Also, because some shopping businesses have their own clothes sizes, you cannot try on the clothes you have bought online until they arrive at your house. When this happens it is common practise that you will have to pay for the package to be returned.

Threats

The website you are buying off might not be the actual company that you think it is and they are actually trying to access your bank details using the payment scheme.
Because you do not see the actual product in your hands when shopping online, you may not recieve the quality that you were promised or even a fake brandwhen you researched the item making it a waste of money.

Online Banking

Advantages

Online Banking is convenient as you can access your bank account from home, provided you have internet access. It never closes i.e. it can be accessed at any time so having to go at a specific time is no longer a problem. It is also fast and effective and there are no delays caused by queues. Transferring money between accounts and applying for loans and recieving results are instant.

Disadvantages

Trust, some people cannot always be 100% sure that a transaction went through when using online banking. Learning to use the online banking on the website can be difficult, especially for people who are not very knowledgeable about computers.

Threats
The website you are buying off might not be the actual company that you think it is and they are actually trying to access your bank details using the payment scheme. if someone has hacked your computer or has uploaded spyware they can obtain your bank account details very easily and empty the money out of it.