ICT As An Agent Of Social Change

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) offers us the possibility to acquire information and to connect with other people at a speed and across distances unprecedented in history. For those without access to ICT, the knowledge and resources gap can grow exponentially. This gap, often referred to as a “digital divide,” is usually caused by poverty and lack of infrastructure. In the case of women, cultural expectations and prejudice can further exacerbate their lack of access to ICT. A perfect example for ICT as a medium for social movement would be the use of social networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Skype¸ to help and connect other people in Banjarin to Naya Raipur. This social movement began because of the lack of political freedoms and poor living. Many Indian people leaned on the use of social media sites to spread awareness of their poor lifestyle. This lead to awareness for people around the Chhattisgarh to understand what was taking place in their community. Information and Communications Technology has different impacts when it is used as a medium for promoting social change. May it be cyber-bullying, promotion for feminism, abolition of slavery, or industrial revolution, ICT gives an opportunity for people to be aware of the problems in the society and offers them the opportunity participate and be part of these social changes.