Computer Impact in the Society and Computer Ethics

The computer users are increasing day by day. The use of computer has surpassed manual operations and it has become an essential tool for human development. It is true that the organization with a computerized system is more efficient than the others which rely on manual operations.

Positive Impact of computer in Society

It is obvious that the computers are revolutionizing our daily life. More and more educated people are being attracted to using computers for solving their daily problems from word processing and spreadsheet calculations to solve a very complex simultaneous equation.

The following are the basic reasons of increasing attraction towards the use of computers in homes and offices.

1. A tedious work can be carried out with the use of computers speedily and accurately.
2. Instead using paper files and occupying large space, more information can be stored in small space electronically that can be accessed as required.
3. Computers possess multitasking and multiprocessing capabilities which facilitate multirole operation on data.
4. Since, the data are stored in electronic devices, they can be easily accessed.
5. Computers obey the instructions and they process the data impartiality during result processing.
6. Documents can be kept secret with the special login name and password protection.
7. Safeguarding the Citizen: Computerized systems provide various safeguarding systems.

• Personal data stored by the Police
• Personal data stored by the local administrative bodies
• Information about the weather forecast
• Information about natural calamities such as earthquake, landslides, flood, etc.
• Information about recent events of traffic, roads, etc.

Social Effects (ATM, Visa Card, and Master Card): People can use automated teller machine cards for withdrawing money deposited with the help of ATM card, Visa Card or Master Card.

Negative Impact of Computer in Society

Though computer has numerous positive implications, some people show its negative impact in the following points. They are:

1. The computer is highly expensive and they are not affordable for general people.
2. There are some methods people can pirate data for misuse.
3. Since, a computer can do work much faster, less number of employees can do more work and its leads to increased unemployment.
4. Due to malfunction of the computer, huge data and information can be lost.
5. Computer technology is fast changing technology and we have to update accordingly which might become difficult for small firms and schools.
6. Due to the difficulty of data transmission, we fail in providing proper services.
7. Data Integrity and Data Security

Computer Ethics

Ethics are the moral principles that controls or directs the behaviour of an individual. In other words, ethics is a way of realizing what is right and what is wrong. It is the way of making judgements about the right and wrong conduct. So, computer ethics is a moral principles that defines the right and wrong activity which can be conducted by the use of computers.

Computer ethics is a concept which addresses the ethical issues that arise from the use of computers and how these issues can be reduced or prevented.Computer ethics deals with the values or practices of an individual that governs or regulates the way of consuming computer technology and its related discipline without damaging or affecting the values or norms or beliefs of any individual. Computer ethics primarily enforces the ethical implementation and proper use of computing resources. It includes methods and procedures to avoidtheft of copyrights, trademarks and the unauthorized distribution of digital content.

As the user of computer and internet are growing day by day, the misuse or improper utilization of these resources are also increasing. So, for the proper use of computer and internet and to reduce or prevent the damages made by individuals through the use of computer and internet, computer ethics is very important.As the world of computers evolves, computer ethics continues to create ethical standards that address new issues raised by new technologies.

For example, it is easy to copy others' copyrighted electronic or digital contents without the author's approval, but the computer ethics says that it is wrong activity to do. So, it is an unethical activity.

There may be different computer ethics related issues like:

• Privacy:It concerns the collection and use of private or personal data about individuals.

• Accuracy:It relates to the responsibility of those who collect data to ensure that the data is correct.

• Property:It relates to who owns data and rights to software.

• Access:It relates to the responsibility of those who have data to control and who is able to use that data.

DIGITAL DIVIDE

Digital Divide is a term that refers to the differences between the people who have easy access to the internet and those who do not have. It is also known as 'digital split'. So, digital divide divides the group of people into two groups that is, one the people who have easy access to the computer and internet , and other the peple who don't have access to internet and computer. Hence, it creates the gap between these people.

Before the late 20th century, digital divide referred chiefly to the division between those with and without telephone access, but after the late 1990s, the term began to be used mainly to describe the split between those with and without Internet access.

The digital divide appears in a number of different contexts, including:

• Differences between the Internet access ofrural and urban areas

• The differences between the socio-economic condition among people of different races, income and education that affects their ability to access the Internet

• Differences between developed, developing and emerging nations in terms of the availability of Internet

References:

Khanal, R.C. Khanal, R.C. Computer Concept for XII. Pashupatigriha Marga, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal: Ekta Books Distributors Pvt. Ltd., 2010. 99-103.

Adhikari, Deepak Kumar.,et.al., Computer Science XII,Asia Publication Pvt.Ltd