Information Society

[Free Digital Universe]

Contemporary society has often been referred to as the 'Information age' or 'information society'. These terms are apt in this epoch, considering the massive explosion of information, which has been facilitated by the technological revolution in computer applications and telecommunication networks. The increasing development in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has revolutionized various socio-political and economic sectors, such as manufacturing, business, science and technology, schools and homes.

The information revolution and the applications of information and communication technologies are fundamental in conceptualizing information society. The concept of the information society is defined through various perspectives. The key features of this 'society' are outlined in various academic writings, seminars, conferences, policy documents of government and several regional, international and global organizations. For example, the European Union High-Level Expert Group report of 1997, defines information society as:

"The society that is currently being put in place, where low-cost information and data storage and transmission technologies are in general use. The generalisation of information and data use is being accompanied by organizational, commercial, social and legal innovations that will profoundly change life both in the world of work and in society generally" (Nassimberi 1998: 154).

Information society refers to a situation where information and communication technologies are integrated in industrial production and information dissemination in all fields. Technology instigates a new approach to the production, distribution and consumption of information. Information society refers to a situation where information becomes a source of income generation; where employment is found mostly in the information sector.

Dennis McQuail (1997: 87) states that in the information society, "information work predominates, and information is the most valuable resource". He further notes that the characteristic of information society is an exponential increase in the production and flow of information of all kinds. One of the most explicit definitions of information society is the one offered by the Finland's Council of State. Information society is seen as a:

"society which makes extensive use of information networks (meaning systems of IT hardware and services which provide users with delivery and retrieval services in a given area, e.g. electronic mail, directories and video services) and IT (information technology meaning the hardware, software and methods used for the automatic processing and transfer of data, and skills needed to use them), produces large quantities of information and communication products and services, and has a diversified content industry." (Nassimbeni, 1998: 154).

Based on our explanation of the concept of information society, we can identify various cogent points that characterize the 'information society' as enumerated by Nassimbeni (1998):

* The importance of information and the creation of knowledge,
* The prominence of the role of IT in the production and dissemination of information,
* The use of information networks for the distribution of information;
* The radical changes in people's lives as a result of increasing integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) into all spheres of public and private lives; and
* The necessity for citizens to be trained in new skills to allow them benefit from the access to a massively expanding store of information.