Introduction
A computer has become a very important device in modern days. Usage of computers has generally been increasing since invention of the device back in the nineteenth century. This has resulted from the possibility to modify the device so that it suits different situations and thus ends up performing most of the jobs that were initially performed by people.
Flexibility in the use of the device has lead to integration of computers in nearly all fields in which human beings have been involved. Usage of computers ranges from performing simple tasks such as arithmetic operations to complex logical tasks like analyzing data. Recently, Artificial Intelligence has been incorporated by companies to enable them make valid decisions (Kizza 2011).
This is beneficial in that decisions and recommendations made by a computer are more reliable and accurate, and therefore the companies’ policies are likely to improve. The ever decreasing prices in computers have made them more affordable to many people. More varieties of computers have come up.
These range from simple hand-held mobile communication devices to serves and super computers that are mainly used in large companies. The decrease in price and ready availability of the computers in the market has made many individuals, companies, organizations and other institutions integrate them in their operations. Dependency on computers has therefore gone up, whether an individual is directly working with the machine, or he/she depends on services provided through a computer.
Computers play a central role in the modern world, as outlined in the following sectors:
- Communication
Computers have played a very integral part in communication sector. As tools for communication, they have been employed in so many fields such that it is seemingly impossible for communication to take place without them. They play a central role which cannot be overlooked in communication. People have become so dependent on them such that any little failure affects the whole communication system.
Telecommunication companies use super computers called serves that provide a link of communication between different client computers. All voice calls have to go through these serves so as to reach the other person at the receiving end.
In addition to providing voice call services, the telecommunication companies also provide internet access to companies and institutions such as colleges and banks. The companies charge a subscription fee for the service on monthly or yearly basis. These servers also act as message centers for transmitting messages between different client units.
Like any other man made machine, these servers are subject to occasional breakdowns (Rosenberg 2004). The duration taken to restore the machine varies depending on the cause of the breakdown, expertise of the repairing engineer and the resources needed to restore the machine.
It may therefore, take as short time as a few seconds to rectify the fault, and as long as several hours or even days. Breakdowns of these machines imply a stoppage in the delivery of services to clients. This alters the operation of companies that do not have alternative providers of the essential communication service.
Companies whose operations entirely rely on communication networks such as banks end up in not functioning. For instance, customer transactions cannot be processed, which implies that the customers are not able to withdraw or make deposits in the institution.
Breakdown of these servers also hinders communication between different individuals, and this may lead to misunderstandings. Business people, for instance, are not able to reach their customers and vice versa, which can adversely affect the business. Other services that rely on availability of communication network such as money transfer services are also hindered.
Despite the risk that these breakdowns pose in daily lives, many companies have automated their operations. These calls for services of telecommunication companies, and therefore they end up in awkward situations when there is a breakdown.
Apart from communication network, computers must be supplied with power in order for them to function. Whenever there is lack of power supply, companies, individuals and organizations that entirely depend on computers for their operations are forced to virtually close down. This results from the fact that all operations can only take place through the computer.
If the company does not have an alternative source of power, its operations forcefully come to a halt. Customers served by this company end up in inconveniencies and unnecessary delays. Essential services provided in pharmacies, supermarkets, banks and other institutions become unavailable.
- Medicine
Computers have also been employed in medicine to facilitate carrying out different tasks. For instance, programmers have designed special applications that are applied in medicine to perform diagnosis. Special computerized equipments have been made to enable automatic detection of dysfunctional tissues in the body without having to subject the patient under theater operations.
An example is the computerized X-ray machine that identifies the malfunctioned tissue under the skin, the extent of damage of the tissues, the risk that tissue poses in the health of patient and thereafter makes recommendations of possible treatment or medication.
In addition to diagnosis, computers have also been used in optical clinics to examine eye problems in patients. Adequate information if fed to databases kept by the opticians, which enables the computers to make appropriate decisions according to the results of examination, and consequently recommend aid spectacles or treatment when necessary.
Most of the tasks that were initially performed by the opticians have been delegated to computers (Cimino & Shortliffe 2006).
In collaboration with the information technology, doctors have set up online clinics where patients are able to contact them and receive diagnosis or prescription. The patient is relieved the burden of travelling and incurring unnecessary expenses.
In this field, the patients provide information about their wellbeing to the doctor, which the doctor uses to diagnose the illness. He or she then prescribes appropriate medicine for the patients, which can be obtained from the local pharmacies. Payments are made through money transfer services and therefore the doctor does not come into direct contact with the patients.
Incorporation of computers in the medical field has brought both positive and negative effects with it. First, it produces accurate and unbiased information about the diagnosis. It is therefore more reliable and gives the best treatment prescription for the patient. Computers are also faster, and therefore, speeds up most of the operations thus increasing overall efficiency in service delivery.
On the other hands, computers are subject to breakdowns and power interruptions. In case the machine fails or there is a power supply breakdown, patients are exposed to the risk of not being attended to.
Lack of immediate attendance to patients can lead to severe complications or even death. Computerization of most of these processes in the field of medicine therefore can have an adverse effect in the heath wellbeing of the society at large (Rosenberg, 2004).
- Education
Computers have also been intensively employed in education sector. Presentation applications such as Ms PowerPoint have been used by lectures to facilitate learning through prepared slides. This is a more efficient way of sharing limited resources with the learners and allows for use of audio-visual aids.
Computers provide connection to the internet. Researchers and other scholars are therefore able to access online information and hold online collaborative discussions. The internet provides a wider range of freely available and current books, journals and articles useful for conducting research.
Recently, online learning portals have also been created which enables students to pursue their education without having to converge into a class. Reading materials are provided in these portals and therefore students can access and use them.
Examinations and assignments are also submitted online, marked online and certificates awarded online. In addition, teleconferencing has enabled learners to directly interact with their lecturers. Coordinated discussions, presentations and questions are also processed real time (Kizza, 2011).
Learners have been able to access and use softcopy notes from lectures, books and other reference materials to facilitate learning. Students have shifted from use of physical exercise books, and are rather typing their notes in computer Word Processors for future reference. Recorded lecture films are also available and accessible to learners in the Internet.
Just like in the case of medicine, use of computers in education has its benefits as well as threats. The machines are subject to breakdowns and also require power. Unexpected breakdowns can therefore interrupt the learning process.
In case an examination was being taken, power failures can lead to leakages due to extension of the examination period. Availability of study materials in the Internet also encourages learners to become lazy since they are able to copy-paste other peoples’ work rather than doing their own researches.
The students end up becoming lazy since they can simply copy-paste other researchers’ published works and present them as theirs’. (Hernández & Goodson, 2004).
In modern days, these new methods of providing education are replacing the traditional classrooms, and they will soon be facing them out. The modern generations are turning more into computer based learning, which implies a further dependency on computers.
- Administration
Computers have also been widely used in administration. In developed countries, electronic voting systems have been introduced. Voters are provided with electronic voting cards bearing voter’s details. The casted votes are centrally managed from database, and tallying, analysis and presentation of election results is computerized (Hernández & Goodson, 2004). The electronic voting process relies on computers, and so does the voters.
Conclusion
Computers have played a very integral part and have therefore become indispensible tools in the modern world. They are essential in performing nearly all operations: banking, communication, education, medicine, administration etcetera. Dependency on computers is therefore inevitable, if a person has to accomplish any task.
Whether a person uses the computer to provide a service, or depends on a service provided with the aid of a computer, the fact is, we all depend on computers. Despite the fact that computers can not be entirely relied on due to their occasional breakdown and dependency on power, they have become quite essential in delivery of quality services, which are necessary to our lives (Kizza, 2011).
References
Cimino, J. J., & Shortliffe, E. H. (2006). Biomedical informatics: Computer applications in health care and biomedicine. New York, NY: Springer.
Hernández, F., & Goodson, I. (2004). Social geographies of educational change. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Kizza, J. M. (2011). Computer network security and cyber ethics. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland.
Rosenberg, R. S. (2004). The social impact of computers. Boston: Academic Press.