What you'll learn
ICT changes how people work, communicate, stay healthy, learn and are governed — mostly for the better, but not for everyone and not without costs. This guide covers the effects of ICT on employment, health, the environment, communication and relationships, privacy and data protection, copyright and plagiarism, the digital divide, and newer issues such as fake news, echo chambers, artificial intelligence, surveillance and the gig economy. The skill tested most is evaluation: weighing benefits against drawbacks for different groups of people and reaching a justified judgement.
Expect scenario questions — a factory introducing robots, a government moving services online, a school using fingerprint scanners — where you must consider who gains, who loses and what could reduce the harm.
Key terms and definitions
Automation — Using machines or computers to carry out tasks once done by people.
Digital divide — The gap between people who have access to ICT and the skills to use it and those who do not.
Digital footprint — The trail of data a person leaves through their online activity.
Cyberbullying — Using digital technology to harass, threaten or embarrass someone.
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) — Pain in the hands, wrists or arms caused by repeated movements such as typing.
Ergonomics — Designing equipment and workspaces to fit the user and reduce strain.
E-waste — Discarded electrical and electronic devices.
Data protection law — Rules on how personal data must be collected, stored and used, such as the GDPR.
Copyright — A creator's legal right to control copying of their original work.
Plagiarism — Presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own.
Fake news — False or misleading information presented as genuine news.
Echo chamber — A situation where people mainly see opinions that match their own.
Gig economy — Work arranged through apps as short, flexible jobs rather than permanent employment.
Telemedicine — Medical consultations carried out remotely using video or online links.
Core concepts
Employment
ICT has removed some jobs and created others. Automation has reduced routine work such as data entry, manual assembly, typing pools and some checkout and bank counter roles. At the same time, new jobs have appeared in software development, network management, cybersecurity, data analysis, digital marketing and maintaining automated equipment.
The effects are uneven. Workers whose routine jobs are automated may need retraining, and not everyone finds a new role easily. Businesses gain lower costs, consistent quality and the ability to work around the clock. Many jobs have also changed rather than disappeared: office work now requires digital skills, and teleworking has become common.
The gig economy uses apps to match workers with short jobs such as deliveries or taxi rides. Workers gain flexibility over when they work, but they are often classed as self-employed, so income is unpredictable and they may lack sick pay, holiday pay and pensions.
Health
Long periods at a computer are linked to:
- RSI from repeated typing and mouse use — reduced by regular breaks, wrist rests, ergonomic keyboards and correct desk height;
- eye strain and headaches — reduced by breaks, correct screen brightness and position, and anti-glare screens;
- back and neck problems from poor posture — reduced by adjustable ergonomic chairs and screens at eye level;
- lack of physical activity and disrupted sleep from late-night screen use.
ICT also improves health: telemedicine lets patients in remote areas see a doctor without travelling; electronic records make information available quickly; wearable devices encourage activity; and online information helps people understand conditions (although not all of it is reliable).
The environment
Negative effects: manufacturing devices uses energy and raw materials, including rare metals; data centres use large amounts of electricity; and e-waste contains toxic substances such as lead and mercury that can pollute soil and water if dumped. Exporting e-waste to poorer countries, where it may be broken up unsafely, harms workers and local environments and raises ethical concerns.
Positive effects: video conferencing and teleworking reduce travel; digital documents reduce paper use; smart meters show energy use in real time so people can cut waste; and computer-controlled systems make heating, lighting and transport more efficient.
Recycling e-waste recovers valuable metals and prevents pollution. Buying fewer, longer-lasting devices and repairing them also helps.
Communication and relationships
Email, messaging, social media and video calls let people stay in touch instantly and cheaply across the world, maintain friendships and family links at a distance, and find communities with shared interests. Concerns include less face-to-face contact, pressure to be always available, cyberbullying, and the effect of constant comparison on wellbeing. For young people, social media can provide support and connection, but also comparison, bullying and lost sleep; effects depend heavily on how and how much it is used.
Constant connection to work email can blur the boundary between work and home and increase stress, even though it also gives flexibility. Some organisations and countries have introduced a "right to disconnect" outside working hours.
Privacy, data and surveillance
Organisations collect huge amounts of personal data. Data protection laws require them to collect only what they need, keep it secure and accurate, use it only for stated purposes, not keep it longer than necessary, and let people see what is held about them. Under laws such as the GDPR, people can also ask for some data to be erased — the "right to be forgotten".
A person's digital footprint can affect them years later; employers may look at social media before offering a job. Location tracking on phones can reveal where people live and go. Employee monitoring can protect security and productivity but raises privacy concerns; staff should be told what is monitored and why.
Surveillance technologies such as CCTV and facial recognition can help find criminals but raise concerns about privacy, mass monitoring and misidentification, especially if accuracy differs between groups of people.
Copyright and plagiarism
Digital copies are perfect, instant and easy to share worldwide, which makes copyright harder to enforce. Illegally downloading music, films and software deprives creators of income, and pirated files may contain malware. Plagiarism — copying others' work without credit — is a breach of academic honesty; citing sources correctly avoids it.
The digital divide
The divide exists between countries, between rural and urban areas, between income groups and between age groups. As shopping, banking and public services move online, people without internet access, suitable devices or digital skills — often older or low-income people — risk being excluded. A government that moves benefit applications online only, for example, may disadvantage exactly the people most likely to need benefits. Solutions include public internet access in libraries, training, affordable devices and keeping alternative phone or in-person services.
ICT can also reduce inequality: assistive technology and online services increase independence for many disabled people, and mobile phones give farmers in remote areas access to weather forecasts, market prices and mobile payments.
Misinformation, algorithms and AI
Fake news spreads quickly because sharing is easy and platforms promote content that gets strong reactions. Checking sources before sharing slows it down.
Social media algorithms show users more of what they already engage with, which can create echo chambers that reinforce existing views and make people less aware of other perspectives.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly used to make or support decisions, such as screening job applications. If the data it learned from contains bias, it can repeat unfair patterns, and its decisions can be hard to explain or challenge.
Regulating harmful content online is difficult because laws differ between countries, the volume of content is enormous, and users can be anonymous.
Laws that govern ICT use
Several kinds of law respond to the effects of ICT. You do not need to know detailed clauses, but you should know what each kind of law is for:
- Data protection laws (such as the GDPR) control how organisations collect, store and use personal data and give individuals rights over it, including the right to see their data and, in some cases, to have it erased.
- Computer misuse laws make it illegal to gain unauthorised access to computer systems, to access them intending to commit further crimes, or to modify or damage data and systems — for example by spreading malware.
- Copyright laws protect creators' work, including software, music, films and writing, from being copied or distributed without permission.
- Health and safety laws require employers to provide suitable workstations and breaks for staff who use computers for long periods.
Laws only work if they can be enforced, which is difficult when offenders are in other countries or anonymous. That is why technical measures, education and international cooperation matter alongside legislation.
Weighing effects: a framework
For any change caused by ICT, ask: Who benefits? Who loses? In the short term or the long term? What could reduce the harm? Applying these four questions to a scenario — automation, online-only services, surveillance — produces the balanced, well-organised answers that score highest.
Worked examples
Example 1: Evaluating automation
A factory plans to replace assembly workers with robots. Evaluate the decision.
Answer: Robots can work continuously with consistent quality, reducing long-term costs and errors. However, the purchase cost is high, workers will lose jobs, and the factory will need staff with new skills to maintain the robots. The local community may suffer if many jobs go. The plan benefits the business financially, but its impact would be fairer if displaced workers were offered retraining for new technical roles.
Example 2: Reducing RSI
Give two ways an office worker can reduce the risk of RSI. (2 marks)
Answer: Take regular breaks from typing (1). Use an ergonomic keyboard and a wrist rest to keep the wrists in a natural position (1).
Example 3: Digital divide
A bank closes its local branch and moves all services online. Which customers are most likely to be disadvantaged and why?
Answer: Older customers and those on low incomes, who are less likely to have reliable internet access, suitable devices or confidence using online banking. They may struggle to manage their money and be more vulnerable to fraud.
Example 4: Facial recognition
Discuss the use of facial recognition cameras in public places.
Answer: They may help police identify suspects and find missing people quickly. However, they involve recording everyone, not just suspects, which raises privacy concerns, and misidentification can lead to innocent people being stopped. Their use should be limited, transparent and regulated.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- One-sided answers. Nearly every question in this topic expects benefits and drawbacks.
- Vague health answers. Name the problem (RSI, eye strain, back pain) and a specific prevention.
- Saying ICT "destroys jobs" without mentioning new jobs. Show both sides.
- Treating the digital divide as only about money. Age, location, skills and disability matter too.
- Confusing copyright and plagiarism. Copyright is a legal right; plagiarism is failing to credit a source.
Exam technique for "Effects of ICT on Society"
- Identify the stakeholders — workers, employers, customers, older people, young people, governments — and consider each.
- In "discuss" and "evaluate" answers, write paragraphs of point → explanation → consequence, then a conclusion.
- Suggest ways to reduce harm (training, alternatives, regulation); examiners reward this.
- Avoid absolute statements; use "may", "can" and "for some people".
Quick revision summary
- Employment: automation removes routine jobs, creates technical ones; retraining needed; gig work is flexible but insecure.
- Health: RSI, eye strain, back problems, inactivity — prevented by breaks and ergonomics; telemedicine helps access.
- Environment: energy use and e-waste versus reduced travel and paper and smart energy use.
- Communication: instant and global, but cyberbullying, pressure and wellbeing concerns.
- Privacy: data protection laws, digital footprints, location tracking, monitoring, surveillance.
- Copyright and plagiarism: easier copying, lost income, academic honesty.
- Digital divide: excludes those without access or skills; ICT can also increase independence.
- New issues: fake news, echo chambers, AI bias, difficulty regulating content globally.