There is definitely no doubt that current developments in information and communication technologies can bring about social change. This involves change in the way information is dispersed across populations. In my own opinion, I find the social change associated with current developments in information and communication technologies to be positive.
Lack on information or inadequate systems for passing information keeps many people ignorant and incapable of exercising their abilities. With the current developments in ICTs, many people have been able to access vital information that has necessitated them to implement its contents into actions that have achieved positive social change. ICTs have created awareness among people thus improving the way of interpretation of some ideas including social ideas that bring about social change.
Today, alternative forms of media (countless ways of accessing information) ranging from television programming at the living quarters to hand held devices with ability to access the World Wide Web have enabled many people to learn more about social change and phenomena that can make a difference to the world.
These platforms have also increased the number of individuals who act upon the current issues passed across to enable positive social change. This is because being aware brings us far from a point of ignorance to a point of concern and appropriate action.
Those actively involved in making a difference in terms of social change can perform more effectively from an informed perspective. Although many people will argue that knowing does not necessarily lead to action; I argue that it is the start point or drive towards taking actions from an informed perspective.
Another point concerns the independence and fairness of most mass media. Most mass media avoid being restrictive and selective concerning the information told to the public. They always disclose or report incidents based on witnesses and in full disclosure. This has ensured unlimited perspectives on what is told by the media.
Such levels of clarity and transparency that are exercised without any form of fear or favor have positively promoted social change. For instance, the information passed across by mass media has really contributed to social change in terms of women empowerment.
Removal of such information from its original context may raise a lot of concerns in terms of credibility and reliability. The information may be regard as ethnocentric in nature and thus incapable of endorsing such social changes like women empowerment. But through transparency, honesty, clarity an independence of current ICTS, such types of information have been considered credible and endorsed to bring about social change.
Through current developments in ICTS, women empowerment has been conceptualized in a democratic manner to a level that it promotes liberation of women in consideration with western sense. ICTs have gone a step further to shade more light on women empowerment stating that the idea allows women to implicitly or explicitly challenge the existing hierarchies of social norms as well as boundaries that control them from exploring their potential.
Such norms and boundaries normally limit women from exercising their abilities and assuming certain responsibilities. These are some of the ties that have been broken by the current ICTs by creating awareness among women to make steps that will initiate positive social change from an informed perspective.
Creating awareness through mass media has enabled women to challenge and abolish such existing norms and boundaries to bring positive social change and freedom. The issue on equality has also been advocated for through mass media information. From this, it is indeed true that independent media can clarify the truth in the society and initiate positive social change.