Overview
The role played by computers in modern life cannot be overemphasized. The advances which have already been made in computing technology are enormous. Owing to this, modern life has transformed to an extent that most applications and principles require the use of knowledge derived from computers. Computing roles have been integrated into society in facilitating different activities which would take man significant amounts of time to accomplish effectively. This paper explores some of the critical positive and negative roles played by computers in the contemporary world.
Positive Roles
Computing in Medical applications
The contemporary application of computers has found its way in carrying out research in medicine for improved healthcare (Ward, 2004). Data that has been obtained from patients is recorded, stored, analyzed, retrieved, and transmitted in a very efficient way through the use of computers. In the case of an Intensive Care Unit where urgency is of great importance, the use of computers comes in handy. Additionally, an emergency department has benefitted tremendously from the use of computing knowledge bearing in mind that there is often a lot of data generation from patients and laboratory results that need to be analyzed and interpreted. The use of handwritten patient details has a myriad of shortcomings. For instance, records can easily go missing when information has been recorded on a sheet of paper. Moreover, handwritten data may be poorly documented leading to a misleading interpretation of the same. This may also be coupled with a lack of legibility on the written data leading to further confusion. It is also cumbersome to gather, store and retrieve all clinical information pertaining to patients when such records have been hand-written (Ward, 2004).
Computers are being used to carry out the huge and complicated data storage and analysis which would have otherwise been a nightmare. Indeed, computers are playing a very important role in the advancement of medical knowledge. Interestingly, the contemporary clinical information systems make use of computers and computing knowledge in delivering healthcare to patients. One important attribute of computers is their ability to provide more accurate and regular information which has been stored and analyzed. This is the very principle used in clinical information systems and has proved to be very beneficial. Transcription errors which may result from automated data entry are largely eliminated with the use of computers in medical analysis. There are other category of errors which were prevalent for long when handwritten data was being used in the past. For example, errors that arise from data which is not complete have been alleviated in clinical studies. This is a very important role which computers play in this field. Consequently, time spent on analyzing and evaluating patient data has been reduced significantly hence saving lives which would have otherwise been lost.
Another notable role of computers in modern clinical information systems is the integration of both primary and secondary data. In most cases, hand generated data which is considered to be a primary source may not be easily harmonized with a secondary data. In other words, making additional information on a primary source of patient data is tedious compared to computer generated data. Hence, computers have facilitated the art of complex signal analysis. Computing system in a clinical set up has enabled the recording of primary data when patients are being diagnosed besides the analysis of such data together with the secondary information.
As mentioned earlier, computing knowledge has been extended to medical research with great level of efficiency. For a considerable length of time, clinical information systems had been hampered by inadequate technology. However, the development of information technology through the use of computers has made it possible for data bases to be manipulated with ease and efficiency (Ward, 2004). Hence, computers have become formidable tools in carrying out research. One important aspect of a computer which has made it possible for enormous data to be manipulated is the memory component of the device.
In spite of the vital role played by computers in medicine and of course clinical studies and practices, the use of this device and the accompanying technology has received its own share of challenges. Clinical information system is very sensitive owing to the fact that the data entered into the system, analyzed and eventually interpreted is usually put into use and may have disastrous impact on the patient. The accuracy of data entered is crucial. There are instances when wrong or confusing data can be fed into the system leading to gross mess of the entire clinical information system of a healthcare organization.
Computers in the Military
The manner in which the military operates in the modern world has completely been influenced and revolutionized by the use of computers. Contemporary military tactics is largely making use of computers to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The military can now perform certain tasks with high speed and precision because the ability to compute fast has been brought on board (Shelly, Vermaat & Quasney, 2010). This has gone a long way in reducing the operational costs to the government of the day.
Before the advent of modern computers, fighting for the sake of defending territories would result into heavy causalities and massive destruction of property. In order to achieve particular war goals, weapons of mass destruction were the best for use. Such weapons would lead to non selective loss of life of civilians who were not even involved in the war. It became very costly for the military to launch an attack because it was not easy to control the magnitude of devastation.
Since it is almost impossible to evade war either in the near or distant future, the development of mini computers which are equally powerful has been thought as the right step forward towards equipping and strengthening the military. It is now possible to manufacture weapons which are sensitive enough to detect the location and nature of the target. Small custom made computers can now be used by the military to launch a projectile to a target located far away (Shelly, Vermaat & Quasney, 2010). In this case, it is only the target which is hit by the missile contrary to the weapons of mass destruction which often leaves widespread damage that is over and above the specific target. The military has found the use of computers to be less expensive and also effective compared o the old fighting tactics. Moreover, fewer resources are utilized with the use of computers in military warfare. In the case whereby human beings are the target, the use of computers has made it possible to selectively kill those who are participating in the war and spare those who are innocent. The decisions which are made by these modern weapons are automated in the sense that there are lasers and optical systems which are installed in the weapons and together with special computer programs, the target can be reached effectively.
The military wing of the United States of America largely makes use of Global Positioning System. This computer technology makes it possible for the military to precisely identify where a particular target is located. It is a very vital computer application which the military cannot do without. In achieving this, there are usually a collection of satellites which move round the earth and gather the relevant information regarding the location of the target. This information is concurrently communicated to another receiver on the ground which finally enables the military to locate the target precisely. Launching such satellites require computers without which it is not possible. Furthermore, signals which are transmitted to the receiver have to be generated by the computers. The use of Global Positioning System enables missiles to accurately locate the position or location of the target before launching a projectile.
Reconnaissance also utilizes computing technology and satellites. Spectacular images are permitted by computers to be received by the satellites. These images are then transferred to the ground military station where all the information regarding the enemy or target is obtained. This is an intelligence system which tends to gather reliable data from an enemy installation and instantaneously transmit the same for analysis on the other side. Reconnaissance satellites have been used for quite a while and they are still prominent investigative devices that have been made even more powerful with the advancement in computer technology (Shelly, Vermaat & Quasney, 2010). The successful operations of modern aircrafts which are used for fighting purposes rely heavily on the use of computers. A pilot is often not in a position to control a myriad of variables at the same time in a fighter plane. Besides, there are those fighter planes which are relatively not stable and hence require regular checks to monitor their performance. When such controls are in place, an aircraft can function well as far as speed and cruising rage are concerned. For instance, an aircraft which is well maneuvered will more likely accomplish its target.
Contemporary military campaigns are utilizing well secured and effective communication which may not be “hacked down” by the enemy. Computers which are powerful enough are in use to achieve this requirement. For example, these computers can permit well enhanced encryption methods of receiving, storing and transmitting sensitive information. Modern computers are effectively playing the role of encrypting valuable information contrary to the old methods which could easily be identified by the enemy.
There is a lot of military research taking place in the background. This research is meant to boost the technological well being of the military especially in regard to inventing better and improved techniques of launching warfare. Computers are playing an invaluable part in this undertaking. The device is used in the gathering, storage, analysis, interpretation and transmission of all the data which is relevant in the research study. The simulating effect which has been caused by a blast from a nuclear explosion is monitored by computers. There are rovers which are currently being developed by NASA so that the planet Mars can be explored.
Computers in modern education
The use of computer technology and its advances has been correlated to the improvement of student achievement in education. Both the public and private education providers are finding it more necessary to embrace computers in the learning process. Towards the end of the 1990s, there was a paradigm shift in the mode of teaching. New curriculum has been developed by education specialists to embrace the application of computers in day-to-day process of teaching and acquisition of knowledge (Johnson & Maddux, 2003).
Although computers have initially been used to deliver the required curriculum, the shift has been tremendous. For instance, using software contained in disks to deliver curriculum has now revolutionized the exploration of the curriculum on the information super highway or the international network.
When it comes to curriculum matters, a very vital hardware was first provided by Apple computers. This computer manufacturing company was of the opinion that communication, collaboration and thinking media were all vital components of technology which could only work well if computing skills and competences were put in place. The information which is delivered by the tutor to the students can be counterchecked by the latter on the internet. Furthermore, students have become more knowledgeable in the sense that they do not necessarily rely on the teacher to obtain some information. The computer through the internet has a wealth of information which can be accessed easily by learners.
The modern curriculum has enhanced the prevalence of paperless learning environment. Much of the content required for learning can be found on the World Wide Web or on removable storage media like CD-ROMs, memory sticks, memory cards and flash discs (Johnson & Maddux, 2003). The learning method has been revolutionized by the concept of e-learning which is currently a very popular mode of distance learning. It is through the use of computers that electronic learning platform has been possible. The classroom is no longer dominated by the chalkboard, the teacher or a piece of pen. Internet use has reinvented the traditional learning methods which relied on the aforementioned parameters for learning to take place. Information can be easily accessed by a learner through a computer instead of the teacher. Moreover, the internet provides the most updated information as possible especially internet portals such as Yahoo or MSN are used as search engines. Hence, the computer has enabled learners to obtain not just mere information but the most current version of the same. This is a very critical role played by computers in modern life whereby information is made available upon the click of a mouse. Nevertheless, the information content available on the internet may not all be useful. The educators have the role of providing clear goals and objectives of the curriculum in addition to filtering the right content for the curriculum.
The globe has been shrunk by the internet (Johnson & Maddux, 2003). Learning and attaining knowledge can be done from any location of the world so long there is a computer device and internet access. Learners and teachers are now capable of collaborating from remote locations for instance; online file sharing is highly common. In fact, one key advantage of the internet is the capability of the system to manage a worldwide link of a variety of resourceful materials. Hence, al learners can now an individualized program for learning academic resources in nay given curriculum.
E-commerce
Electronic commerce has grown to significant levels over the past few decades. The modern life commerce is not entirely reliant on the buying and selling of goods and services from specific physical locations.
Negative role played by computers
Music Piracy
Computers have equally been used to perpetrate acts of online theft through music piracy. The 2001 survey revealed that there are over three million worldwide internet enthusiasts who have the access and ability to download music and video files from the huge collection of albums available online (Spinello & Tavani, 2004). Undoubtedly, this number has indeed grown. Besides, the use of broadband-enhanced technologies enables quick downloads of music and video files compared to the old system which would take several minutes to download a small volume of music file. However, there are those who still question the authenticity of the argument that file sharing lowers the overall volume of sales and consequently deprives artists of their expected and rightful returns. Moreover, there has been an on-going debate that downloading music and video file from the internet cannot be pointed out as the main cause behind the drop in sales over the recent past. Meanwhile, it is imperative to have an empirical analysis on whether online file sharing can be blamed on this decline.
To begin with, the ability to share files at almost no cost over the World Wide Web goes against the boundaries set by copyright laws. Furthermore, it implies that online users have the alternative of obtaining videos and music they want without paying for any returns to this form of intellectual property (Spinello & Tavani, 2004). The end product of this culture is definitely the deprivation of artists through non-violent robbery of their intellectual property. Users who download files from the internet are less likely purchase the same products over the counters. As a matter of fact, the quality of the downloaded material is not compromised at all.
Slightly over two billion U.S dollars were gained from music and video sales during the beginning of new millennium. In these sales, it was found that the Compact Disc was the most famous form of music purchased (Spinello & Tavani 2004).As a result, its price has remained a bit high therefore scaring other users. In seeking for an option, some tend to switch to the internet where they can obtain music and video of their choice. Since all music that is downloaded can be used by more than one person, there is a tendency of such users not reverting to the actual buying of legal products. This will, on the other hand, lead to reduced sales of both audio music and video. In reality, if those who download music would resort to buying legitimate copies, then the total quantity sold would be higher than it is today. Some figures reveal that online file sharing has the potential of reducing the desire to buy by about thirty per cent (Spinello & Tavani, 2004). This is a whooping figure bearing in mind that the number keeps growing on a daily basis.
The intellectual property rights aim at protecting trademarks, software data and copyrights. These rights are rarely upheld bearing in mind that a variety of ways can be used to acquire data illegally. For instance, some users might modify, transfer or store information in a retrieval system without prior permission from the owner. Duplication of compact discs containing music or video files amounts to intellectual rights violation. Most important issues on moral aspect of communication technology do not receive headlines. As much as we use and appreciate technology, protecting its integrity and creators in this field is imperative.
Conclusion
In summing up this paper, it is imperative to note that computers play both negative and positive roles in modern life. Nonetheless, computer technology has led to a myriad of technological advances and significant growth of the world economy through globalization. Besides, medical field, education, E-commerce and the military are some of the beneficiaries of the advances made in computing. However, music piracy continues to be a setback to the intellectual property rights.
References
Johnson, L.D. and Maddux, D.C. (2003). Technology in Education: A Twenty-Year Retrospective, New York: Haworth Press Inc.
Shelly, B.G., Vermaat, E.M. and Quasney, J.J. (2010). Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World, Introductory, MA: Cengage Learning.
Spinello A. R and Tavani T. H (Eds.) (2004) Readings in cyber ethics 2nd Ed. Mississauga: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Ward, S.N. (2004). Using Computers for Intensive Care Unit Research, Respiratory Care, 49(5): 518-524.