Communication, Culture and Translation

Master

Informatique et Communication

The Applications of
ICT
In Communication

Prof: BOUJEMAOUI ABDELLATIF Abderrahim Fatmi

Academic year 2020

 Introduction

It is without a shadow of doubt that communication is the social glue that

ties people together. Without communication, there can be no social structure or

social life. Since humans are social beings, they need to come together and

communicate their ideas, opinions, sentiments verbally and nonverbally. The

importance of communication lies in the fact that it is part and parcel of every

society and that the ability to share our beliefs, values, ideas, and feelings is at

the heart of all human contact (Samovar & Porter). i Thus, communication is the

key to success be it in relationships, workplace or in social life.

The Evolution of Communication

Communication has come a long way since the first early humans. During

the Stone Age people started to communicate and express their thoughts and

feelings by signs or gestures. They were able to send signals by a fire drums

and whistling. Later, humankind started to communicate by a cave painting—a

type of art found on the walls and ceilings of caves. Another form of early

communication was during the era of camel messengers in which people used to

give their message to a person who delivered it while riding on a camel. Other

forms of communication were messenger pigeons which were first used in 776

BC. After the messenger pigeons came the first postcard service. The first

commercially produced card was

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 created in 1861 by John Charltonii. With the help of Thomas Watson,

Alexander Graham Bell developed the first prototype of the electric telephone

in 1867.iii After the first telephone, communication evolved even further with

the invention of the internet and the world wide web which started being used

1989. Global information medium the world wide web (WWW) or simply the

web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee.iv Today, communication has become

much easier and quicker due to the development in digital tools that enable

people all over the world to get connected in an easy and cheap manner.

The concept of ICT

The acronym ICT stands for information communications technology or

technologies and it is a huge umbrella term refers to all devices, networking

components, applications and systems that facilitate interaction with the digital

world. ICT has drastically changed how people work, communicate, learn and

live, and continues to revolutionize all parts of the human experience, from

computers to robots. Sometimes ICT is used interchangeably with IT or

information technology. But ICT is more comprehensive, including more

components related to computers and digital technologies. Components include

data, Internet access, cloud computing, software, hardware, transactions, and

communications technology. More importantly, ICT encompasses combinations

and applications of those components.

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 To deepen our understanding of this concept, we simply need to explain

key words—information, communication and technologies. First, information is

knowledge that you get about someone or something or simply facts or details

about a subject. This knowledge can be in the form of data on paper or data in

digital form. Next, communication is simply the act of transferring information

from one place to another which may come in the form of sharing, exchange or

broadcasting. Finally, technology is the means by which we transfer or

communicate this information. Therefore, ICT is the convergence of

information technology and communication technology. Basically, we can

divide ICT in two types; the first one is traditional ICT where we use printed

media like newspapers, books, journals, television and radio. Most of these are

used from ancient times and are still being widely used. The other type is

modern ICT where we are using technologies like computers, cell phones,

internet and GPS, tablets, iPad and so on.

So far, we have defined ICT and its terms, but what are the applications

of ICT? ICT is used in various domains worldwide and the mastery of ICT

devices is becoming an urgent need for peoples in order to push their nations

forward. The use of ICT in such fields as e-education, e-government, e-health,

e-commerce and e-environment among others is seen as enablers for

development because they provide an efficient channel to deliver a wide range

of basic services even in remote and rural areas. Today, nobody can hardly live

without the use of ICT as they have undoubtedly penetrated in all spheres of
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human life. The next section discusses some of the uses of ICT in the field of

communication.

The Applications of ICT In Communication

Technology is responsible for the way we communicate. The more

technological devices are available, the faster our communication becomes. ICT

has taken our daily communication into unprecedented levels. People from

every corner of the world can now communicate and connect with each other in

a matter of seconds via emails, social networking sites, cell phones and so many

apps. Businesses nowadays rely heavily on the power of ICT tools such as

emails, video conferencing, fax, presentations to conduct their business. Back in

the day, organizations had to send delegates across the globe to meet the

representatives of the other companies they wish to do business with. But

thanks to the development in ICT, many of such organizations now use video

conferencing and video call to conduct face-to-face meetings and interviews. In

addition, emailing is one of the popular and most used tool in the business

sector to exchange information among departments, employees, and employers.

Using ICT is cost and time efficient as people or organizations all over the

globe connect with each other in a matter of minutes thereby saving both money

and time. As a matter of fact, with the help of ICT it has become much quicker

to move information around in an efficient manner. Nowadays, information

sharing has reached extraordinary levels as one message or video can be sent to

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people across the globe in a matter of minutes using WhatsApp or Messenger or

any available app.

In the education sector, the use of ICT has proven to be effective,

especially in situations where physical presence is not possible. A case in point

is the current situation that world is witnessing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Because of the emergency lockdown, teachers and students are obliged to stay

at home and cannot go to schools. However, with the help of ICT,

communication between students and their teachers is still taking place.

Teachers and students are connected via different software that enable them to

exchange, discuss varied materials in different online platforms. Lessons and

lectures are being broadcast through TV channels, radio waves and through

video conferencing apps such as google meet, zoom, google hangouts,

GoToMeeting, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams and so many others.

Moreover, ICT gives access to remote learning resources which means

that teachers and learners no longer must rely on printed books and other

materials for their educational needs. With the Internet a wealth of learning

materials in almost every subject can now be accessed from anywhere at any

time of the day. Also, students can use ICT to present their work in a highly

professional format.

They can create presentations to demonstrate what they have learned and

then share them with other students, their teachers via email or any application

available to them.
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 In the banking sector, thanks to ICT, clients have access to the bank’s

services 24/7. They can withdraw, deposit or transfer funds online without

going to the bank. This is possible through ICT tools such as credit cards, online

platform, websites, and ATMs, which have revolutionized the financial sector.

Moreover, people can buy things off the internet using credit cards

without leaving their homes, which has proven to be safe and efficient in these

times of emergency. Also, in the healthcare sector, ICT is beginning to prove its

utility especially in developed countries. With the development of new

applications and platforms, patients are connected to their doctors without

having to check in the hospital. Patients are being monitored around the clock

and they can consult specialist via email, or through online platform in which

they can have a face-to-face chat with doctors just like in the doctor’s office.

The examples given above are but a few instances of the benefits that

ICTs offer to the world. In fact, ICT is used in every sector be it public or

private. All sectors are now replacing or have replaced their traditional systems

with online systems that use ICT to fulfil the needs of their clients and stay

connected to them.

Disadvantages of ICT-based Communication

As noted, human communication is bound to change and develop if new

communication tools are invented. Information Communication Technology is

responsible for the ease and comfort with which human beings are

communicating today. However, we should state that this development in ICT

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tools has not been always positive. There are, of course, negative aspects that

has emerged with use of such technology in daily life. Among these negative

aspects is the decrease of personal and relational interaction between people. In

the same family, for instance, you can observe that everybody is holding a cell

phone, a laptop or any kind of ICT tool and chatting with friends from other

geographical places while neglecting his or her own family members sitting

next to them. In every household, this problem is becoming a major issue to the

point that parents and children no longer talk face-to-face but simply text each

other. It feels like people are leaving their actual world to live in the virtual

reality created by the apps and other technological gadgets. Nowadays, kids no

longer go outside to play, they play online games all day long. This can cause

them long-term health problems as they do not exercise and burn calories,

which is why we are facing the problem of obesity nowadays. Another issue is

that ICT is creating an imbalance and kind of inequality. Let us take the

example of distant learning and how the gap between the poor and rich is

becoming larger. Kids whose families can afford to buy cell phones or laptops

are benefiting from online courses and lectures offered by their teachers.

However, a vast majority of students do not benefit from such opportunity

simply because they cannot afford such technological gadgets that give them

access to the world of internet. All this aside, the biggest and most problematic

problem for me is the issue of privacy. Granted, ICT has rendered our daily

communication as quickly as bullet train, but at what cost? There is no sense of

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privacy anymore as everyone is sharing their most intimate secrets online.

Cameras are working 24/7 in the house and rooms, which is a real catastrophe.

Nothing is hidden anymore. All of this will certainly affect its users negatively,

especially when bad things happen, and their secrets get exposed and everyone

around them know about them. This directly related to the increasing number of

suicide and addiction rates. In some countries, clinic have opened its doors to

treat people from internet addiction, which gives us a clear idea that nothing is

without consequences.

Conclusion

ICT has benefited humanity a great deal and has given people unlimited access

to various tools that enhance our daily life whether in informal communication

or in formal situations such jobs and occupations. However, as users we should

be aware of any danger that ICT has brought about so that we do not victimize

ourselves and become so attached to the point of addiction.

Works cited

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i
Samovar, L. A., & Porter, R. E. (2001). Communication between cultures. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Thomson Learning.
ii

iii
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/alexander-graham-bell-patents-the-telephone

iv
https://home.cern/science/computing/birth-web/short-history-web