Advantages & Disadvantages of Information & Communication Technology

by Andy Walton, Demand Media

ICT encompasses phone and mobile technology as well as computers.

Information and communication technology is a vast field encompassing virtually all technologies that can store, receive or transmit signals electronically. With electronic devices so tightly wound into the fabric of modern society, the advantages and disadvantages of ICT use may not be immediately apparent. Taking a fresh look at these pros and cons helps to give perspective on the ways ICT affects you and your business.

New Communication Methods

ICT has opened up a wide range of new communication methods, allowing you to contact others for less money and over greater distances than ever before. Technologies such as texting, instant messaging and video conferencing allow users to communicate instantaneously with people across the world for a nominal fee, a concept which may have seemed ludicrous before the advent of computers. In addition, text-based computer communication can give those with speech or social problems a level playing field to communicate with their peers.

New Industries

As well as providing a boost to existing industries such as manufacturing and shipping, heavy adoption of ICT has spawned new industries all of its own. Programmers, systems analysts and Web designers all owe their jobs to ICT, as do the people involved in secondary industries such as technology training and recruitment. However, the increased efficiency and automation brought about by ICT can also cause job losses, especially in manual roles and the manufacturing sector.

Body Language

Communication through voice chat or instant messaging does not take body language into account. Non-verbal cues are a vital part of the way humans communicate, with researcher Albert Mehrabian calculating that 55 percent of the message pertaining to feelings and attitudes portrayed by people is in facial expression alone. As such, there is an increased chance that your message will be misunderstood if you are not engaged in face-to-face dialog with the person you are talking to.

Security Issues

ICT provides a range of ways for fraudsters to gain access to your personal details, which could result in you or your business losing money and reputation. Technologies such as online banking mean that with the right security information a third party could impersonate you and gain access to your finances remotely. This is in stark contrast to the pre-ICT era, when frauds would have needed to convince another person (for example, a bank teller or phone operator) that they were you in order to access your money.