The Information Society Concept

The ‘information society’ concept was introduced in Japan, through published texts around the 1960s (Duff, 2000, p. 3). Throughout the years many have philosophized about the concept of an information society; providing many different theories and definitions. A definition taken from IBM (1997) states that an information society is:

“A society characterized by a high level of information intensity in the everyday life of most citizens, in most organizations and workplaces; by the use of common or compatible technology for a wide range of personal, social, educational and business activities, and by the ability to transmit, receive and exchange digital data rapidly between places irrespective of distance” (as cited in Llwd, 2012, p. 13).

Academics

We are now exposed to cultural practices and beliefs of many nations especially through the media. According to Mackay et al (2001), “Culture and beliefs are no longer confined to geographic locality but are shared and dispersed across nations and continents” (p. 68). The media allows us to gain more information about other cultural beliefs and practices to eliminate any misconceptions that we many have held about other nations. We are now able to respect the cultures of other nations because we are well informed about their practices. For example nonverbal communication is important in Chinese culture. For example, eye contact is said to be disrespectful by the Chinese however in other parts of the world eye contact is essential to face to face communication. Individuals may also change their personalities to include beliefs and customs from other cultures. This affects the way they dress and how they interact in society but what is of utmost importance is that they are able to choose what their identity is based on what they have been exposed

The presence of ICT has put greater demands on governments to ensure students are taught the importance of lifelong learning. Presently, Government Ministers have succeeded in integrating ICT into their education system in many countries. Students are also taught essential skills to enable them to cope with the many changes occurring in society. ICT has been introduced in classrooms in my country, to help students adapt to our rapidly changing society. Introducing ICT in the classroom not only imparts knowledge unto students but also encourages more collaboration and interaction between teachers and students. Realizing the importance of ICT in our society, the government of Trinidad and Tobago began providing computers to schools as well as the necessary ICT training for teaching staff. In 2010, all students entering secondary schools were given a personal laptop computer. Students are now motivated to learn independently as they can conduct research and communicate with each other even after school hours. Through this initiative many households now have access to a computer which assists in minimizing the digital divide in our nation. The internet also provides more opportunities in education as Online/Distance learning can now be an option for students who are unable to physically attend a university. Members of society are empowered through knowledge because they are able to