Computers in Society

The Digital Divide

The digital divide refers to the gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not. Stereotypically, this affects those people in West Africa, where there is limited infrastructure for communications technology. However, across the world, there are still around 4 million people (roughly 60% of the world’s population) who do not have access to the Internet.
Contrary to popular belief, steps are being taken to close this gap. According to the World Bank, around 40% of adults in East Africa pay utility bills by text, while over 8 million people in China use e-commerce platforms to sell goods (despite China’s heavily restricted Internet access).

Medical Advances

Over the past 5-10 years, many major technological advances have been made in the medical world. For example, we are now able to use 3D-printing technologies to physically make new body parts for people, while advances in augmented reality have allowed us to be able to view the human body in a completely new light.
However, there are disadvantages amongst the new developments. Although CT scanners are able to show us even more of a person’s body than X-rays, they administer a comparatively higher dose of radiation which is clearly a danger to health. In addition, even though we are able to introduce many new methods of doing things that used to be performed by hand, each new iteration requires new training which, ultimately, could end up costing a high amount of money (as well as the potential for failures in the equipment – an example of safety-critical code).

Technology in Shopping

A key development in shopping is the use of mobile applications in order to streamline the shopping process. For example, some supermarkets have apps which allow customers to locate items in what could be a particularly large store (like the new Lidl in Bourne). Similarly, apps are being used to allow customers to scan items as they go round a shop, collecting a price total which is then charged to the customer’s debit card upon leaving. This could be particularly useful in busy stores (like the new Lidl in Bourne) as it reduces the number of checkouts needed and it gets people out of the doors quicker. At the checkouts, technology is also being used to signal to management when more checkouts are needed to accommodate the number of people waiting to pay for items.

Some people may argue that an increase in technological advancements may mean that less jobs are available. However, although there may not be as many front-of-house staff, there will always be the need for software developers, engineers and network managers – just to name a few – that will become vital for the future running of supermarkets.

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