
Ishani, who lives in Canada, uses video calls to speak with her parents in India almost every day. She can concentrate on her work after feeling less anxious about her parents as a result of keeping them under check. Akash is employed by a US-based MNC. Despite being stationed in the US, he works while staying in India to take care of his ailing mother. Shalini decided to launch her online business after having to quit her job during her pregnancy. Mr. Jawahar, a 65-year-old man, believes Facebook keeps him alive. He finds social networking sites to be an excellent way to cope with his loneliness and is constantly overwhelmed by the desire to stay in touch with people and stay informed. Ms Gupto, who is 70 years old, finds it convenient to access online platforms to transfer money to various retailers.
There are numerous ways that information and communication technology may simplify and enhance our lives. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has improved our personal and professional lives by boosting productivity, efficiency, and—most importantly—saving our time, even though usage of ICT applications varies greatly by gender and geography.
ICTs application in the fields of banking, industries, navigation, nuclear power, defence, space, and health and Governance has broadened their reach and advances. Its influence is thought to be the main factor propelling the economy’s expansion. Without the accessibility of ICT, life is incomprehensible. The Global Information Technology Report 2015, used the data for 86 countries from 1980-2011 and found that an increase in penetration of fixed broadband resulted in 1.35% increase in GDP growth for developing countries and 1.19% growth in developed countries. Research indicates that the impact of ICT on labour productivity is significantly greater than that of steam engines on the same measure. It is a revolution rather than merely an invention.
Investigating the long-term effects of ICT on human existence requires a close look at human psychology and behaviour. The usage of technology eventually has an impact on people’s thoughts, attitudes, and behaviour patterns—but most significantly, it affects their wellbeing. Hedonic and Evaluative well-being gauge people’s level of happiness and satisfaction in the short and long term, respectively. The primary indicator used to measure it is income level. Other components include things like social and cultural standards, work-life balance, quality of life, and the socio-institutional environment. Conversely, Eudemonic well-being—satisfaction derived from one’s inner potential and objectives—is closely linked to ethics and ideology. Both affect mental health and psychological behaviour.
Because businesses are changing quickly and it is more difficult for employees to keep up with new developments in technology, ICT integration raises the risk of job loss. Tension and mental health problems that are exacerbated by job loss can manifest as despair and aggressiveness in families and society. Further, cultures that possess ICT and are more powerful are gradually taking over cultures with less ICT presence or impact. ICT undermines the degree of privacy that each person needs. Some information must be kept confidential, but with ICT, this becomes more challenging because data accessibility is greatly facilitated. Data security and privacy are compromised by ICT We become increasingly reliant on ICT rather than our abilities and knowledge the more we use it in our everyday life for things like forecasting, education, and other purposes. Furthermore, some people experience cyberbullying, which leaves a trauma trail that persists for days.
Individuals get more reliant on ICT and related technologies as they grow accustomed to them. People who spend more time using electronic devices and the ICT process become less physically active, which has a long-term negative impact on their health. The phrase “digital dementia” refers to the deterioration in cognitive functioning brought on by prolonged exposure to digital technology. Concern over this phenomenon is on the rise, especially among younger generations who are more likely than ever to have access to digital devices. According to studies, digital dementia can cause a variety of cognitive impairments, such as memory loss, attention deficit disorder, a decrease in communication skills, and trouble making decisions. Pathological gambling and gaming among teenagers are becoming the norm. With a constant supply of objectionable content and fake narratives, Eudemonic well-being is being challenged. Dr Anna Lembke, a world-leading expert on addiction, in her new book titled ‘Dopamine Nation’, underlines that we are now all captivated to a degree. According to her, the smartphone is the “modern-day hypodermic needle” because we use it for rapid fixes and rely on it for validation, attention, and diversion with every swipe, like, and tweet.
According to the World Happiness Report, people in wealthy nations have become less content over the last ten years or so. Over the previous thirty years, the prevalence of depression has increased drastically worldwide. Concerns regarding human welfare are being raised due to rampant Information and Communication Technology exposure in the haste to boost economic grades and growth rates. Now that developed countries are already on the point of experiencing an emotional and psychological breakdown, it is imperative to address the question of whether a populous, growing nation like India can afford to take on the danger of rapid growth at the expense of the welfare of its inhabitants.
Dr Trishna Sarkar, Asst Prof, Dept of Economics, Dr BhimRao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi.