Information Technology, or IT as it is more commonly known, refers to
“anything related to computing technology” (Techterms.com, 2012). When one
thinks of the seemingly infinite amounts of ‘computing technology’ that we are
bombarded with on a daily basis, the above definition appears impossibly broad.
It can be thought of as the umbrella term under which to cover almost anything
that is relevant or related to computer technology (and that’s a lot!), for
example, networking, hardware, software, the Internet, or even the people that
work with these technologies.
Looking around my room, I can count numerous ways in which IT is contributing to my life right at this very moment. Of course, I am typing up this blog post on the king of all IT devices, the Macbook Pro (Debates welcome, Mac vs PC... Go!): but there is also my cellphone at the ready in case of external contact, my iPod processing & playing the mp3 sound files necessary to maintain my study sanity, and that's not even mentioning the items that have been indirectly created in some way through IT. My textbooks were typed and printed with computers, that chair was probably designed with a computer, the photos on my wall were all taken with digital technology. The
influence of IT is everywhere. Its use in human society and our daily lives has
grown exponentially throughout the last few centuries, creating a technological
world that is almost unrecognisable to that in which we lived not so long ago.
At the young age of 18, even I can say, “I remember back in my day”, when my
family received a hand-me-down computer the size of a microwave and the
wonder, mystery and hours of fun this wonderful machine provided. If I ever got
the chance to boot that old thing up again and attempt to write one of my
assignments, or check Facebook, I am certain I would probably throw it out the
window within minutes in frustration. Technology has advanced since then, and has become so commonplace that we don't only expect to own the latest techno-craze but we expect it to work efficiently as well.
The above video gives you an idea on the growth of technology in our "Ever Changing World". If we have come this far, so quickly, just imagine what the future of technology can hold. Extremely human like robots are not so far off as seen in the clip below. Is this taking it too far? Are we setting ourselves up for a robot uprising? Perhaps we will be working alongside these new humanoid creations in the not so distant future?
Slightly creepy?
I believe that a number of different factors have contributed to my interest in IT and my comfort in using a number of different technologies throughout my life. It is a widely accepted notion that younger people are overall more competent and comfortable using IT than older people (teaching your parents how to use a computer/cellphone etc. anyone?) Having grown up in a time where technology was making rapid advances and becoming more and more commonplace in daily life, my generation was naturally expected to use IT, and therefore it has been, and remains an integral part of our lives. I also have a very positive view upon technology and its future, I would certainly put myself on the technogeek end of the technogeek-technophobe spectrum. New, exciting and useful IT devices and systems are arriving at rapid speeds, and as part of the technological generation, I want to utilise them and use them to my advantage for work & enjoyment. I am constantly using IT to engage in purposeful occupation: using it to work towards my future degree and career, using it to communicate and stay in touch with my friends and family, and using it for leisure activities and enjoyment - editing photographs, browsing the depths of the internet, listening to music. I.T opens up a world of connectivity and opportunity. The magical marketing & constant updating of the lastest cool gadgets doesn't really help. How can I resist that new, shiny, iPhone 4s, with dual-core A5 chip, all-new 8MP iSight camera and optics, iOS 5 and iCloud - "The most amazing iPhone yet.", from only NZ $1,049.00. Well, actually that price could be a slight issue...
The always expanding field of I.T is now firmly engrained into our professional work lives; it has revolutionised as well as created many career paths. Looking back to my first year days, when I was sent off to the depths of the South Island for my first four week placement, it is interesting to note that during my fieldwork experience, I was exposed to the least amount of I.T that I had been in goodness knows how many years. Although I was working in a full-fledged, government funded public hospital, all of the health professionals notes were hand-written and hand-filed, and the in the geriatric rehabilitation ward where I was, the use of assistive technology in intervention was not commonplace. I was thoroughly surprised as I had previously not envisaged, what seemed to me, to be such an 'old - fashioned' system still being employed. Don't get me wrong, it worked perfectly fine, and none of the patients were any worse off for it; but even my supervisor asserted that having a bit of an upgrade would not be unwelcome, and might make things speedier and easier for everyone. I believe that my situation was rather unique, as more and more occupational therapists are adopting IT systems and tools and incorporating them into their practice, and taking advantage of the full benefits that they can offer for both practitioner and client. I.T can be used at the basic level of word processing and digitally storing client notes and records as well as emailing and communicating with other professionals and services. But an understanding and use of I.T can also be taken further, to create amazing technologies that allow people to participate in meaningful occupation and activity that they may have previously been deprived of due to injury or illness. Below is a video of an example of the use of technology in occupational therapy.
The evolution of I.T devices, and the ability to capture, share and transfer information with the click of a button has unfortunately resulted in ethical implications galore. One of the main concerns in I.T today is regarding copyright and ownership. Even with copyright laws and measures in place and crackdowns on internet downloading and piracy, using I.T to illegally share and possess copyrighted data is extremely common and easy. Students needing their weekly fix of their favourite television show can do a quick Google and voila: its right there on their screen. And the excitement is only intensified by the prospect of outsmarting the copyright police and escaping a gigantic fine... right....? Another ethical issue that is common is privacy issues. Having your personal information splashed around the internet for any stalker to access is not ideal, but these days its becoming more and more common - especially with the use of social networking sites such as Facebook. Once you have uploaded content to the internet, it is important to realise that it is no longer exclusively under your control .Those disgraceful drunken pictures can be copied, pasted and sent to your grandma or boss as quickly as you can say reputation.
References:
Techterms.com. (2012). IT. Retrieved
from http://www.techterms.com/definition/it
YouTube. (2009). An Ever Changing World. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=yuKu6PZXCIY&feature=player_embedded
YouTube. (2011). A very human like robot invented by Japanese engineers. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaTfzYDZG8c&feature=player_embedded
YouTube. (2009). Technology and Occupational Therapy. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Bf9Sv8JdE&feature=player_embedded
