ICTs in everyday life

Introduction

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This unit is from our archive and it is an adapted extract from Networked living: exploring information and communication technologies (T175) which is no longer in presentation. If you wish to study formally at The Open University, you may wish to explore the courses we offer in this curriculum area. [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]

Whether we are aware of it or not, we are surrounded by networks through which information flows constantly. Our notions of time and location are changing – the world seems to have become a ‘global village’ where distance is no longer a barrier to commercial or social contact. If we live in Britain or other parts of the westernised world, it's difficult to imagine being without all the networked infrastructure that plays a crucial part in our daily lives. This unit is about how this infrastructure of information and communication technologies (ICTs) permeates our lives.