Tuesday, December 30, 2008

24 th dwc answer

The Social and Economical Impact of ICT.

A)How would ICT help NZ maximize its potential in human capitals in these following categories:

Ageing population – ICT could help maximize potential human capital in this category by allowing ageing people to develop economically by helping them open online business or something related to e-commerce so they can work from home or at the very least monitor the work from home. They could also work for companies which allow them to work from home as they would be connected to the Internet and would be able to work as if they were in the office itself. In this way, they could contribute to the economy even though they may be restricted by physical barriers.

Low population growth – ICT could also help people to be more connected socially. Nowadays, the popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace is booming and people can connect here online and find more friends which in turn could lead to romantic relationships. Also, all regular websites nowadays have the comments section and here also while leaving comments on the same website, it is possible to find a love interest with a common interest.

Increased proportion of Maori and Pacific Island peoples – Maori and Pacific Island peoples can benefit a lot from ICT. ICT leads to enterprise and employment generation which can help increase the potential of Maori and Pacific Island peoples. Maori and Pacific Island peoples can become more contributive to the economy of the country through the various benefits provided by ICT.

More youthful nature of Maori and Pacific Island peoples – The Maori and Pacific Island peoples are mostly young. Such young people have a better understanding of ICT and can utilize the systems in a much better way. The benefits of ICT can be optimally utilized enabling the human capital of the area to reach their highest potential.

Negative net migration – New Zealand has a low population growth but has the benefits of negative net migration. More people in the country will mean that more people are available to utilize ICT effectively and efficiently for the benefits of all. More people are there to reap the benefits of ICT taking human capital to a much higher potential.

Increasing income disparity – ICT could help people to find new revenues of income stream because the potential is limitless. The disparity arises because those that have access to ICT are more open to new ways of maximizing their revenue and can find new ways to make revenue so once others are connected, they can also find new ways to do so. Those that have the benefit of ICT have a huge advantage over those who don’t as they have access to vital information beforehand in terms of business news or in new ways of doing something.

Less than ideal skill base – ICT could enable those that are working during the day to go online and take courses whereby they can learn a new skill which can benefit them in the real world. There is also a massive amount of information available online regarding each and every subject in detail so with proper research, it is possible learn many new skills such as learning new languages and so on.

Narrow export base – New Zealand currently has a narrow export base which is one of the areas where improvements can lead to a much better economy. ICT can lead to an increase in the number of commodities available for export through enterprise development and better contacts with the outside world. When the total amount of exports is more than the total amount of imports, the economy will improve maximizing human potential.

B)What are ICT accessibilities of New Zealanders?

Access to ICT does not only mean having the ability to use ICT, it also includes ways to use ICT in the most beneficial way. It can be said that this definition of access to ICT is not a narrow perspective but offers a much wider viewpoint. ICT in New Zealand can be accessed through many locations such as home, school, work and so on. The people should not just be passive users of ICT but should also contribute information to ICT. People with access to ICT will have an advantage over people without access to ICT in this modern world increasing the social divide. New Zealand started out quickly in the race for ICT but it could not be available to everyone due to technological and financial reasons. The main reason for low access to ICT would have to be financial. More than 97% have access to telephone, nearly 30% have computers and internet use is about 50%.

C)How ICT used for Education in NZ?

Teachers who have access to ICT have vast amounts of information available on their particular subject. They can research their topics online and find more and better material to teach their students. They can be better equipped to transfer information to their students in the classroom. Teachers can have up to date information about their subject matter instead of teaching the same old material to their students. Students can research their work online. They can gain more information than is taught to them in the classroom. They can use the internet as an additional tool for their education. People who, for some reason, cannot go to a proper educational institution can take online courses. This is how New Zealand uses ICT for education.

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