Entertainment in the Information Age

Technology has changed the way the Entertainment industry is run and used, entertainment in the Information Age is revolved around the great changes in technology.  How we spend our free time is dictated by the entertainment industry, technology is nearly always included in what we do when we want to relax or even be active. A few examples of these are when going for a run people now use data trackers instead of just enjoying the breathe of fresh air or how many of the films we now watch

 are dominated by CGI.

 Music in the Information Age 

One of the biggest ways that entertainment has changed is the change of technology in the music industry; music is one of the biggest forms of entertainment and is used by many nearly every day. Firstly th

e way we listen to music has changed, first came vinyl’s which took up lots of room and were easily scratched and not compact enough to walk around with. Then came the cassette which was portable and meant you could walk around and listen to music privately, however the amount of music you could listen to was limited. Thus came the revolution of the CD, which again changed the music entertainment as people were
able to listen to the CD portably and would be able to have a whole album on one disc, this proved a lot more popular than a vinyl or cassette which is proven by the stat that in 2000 92.3% of music was listened to on a CD and a mere 0.2% was listened to on vinyl. After the CD came the downloadable versions of music which again made music even more portable and meant that people could store a lot more music in one place and listen to them wherever they liked.

Secondly the way that music has been produced has changed, most songs and albums are recorded in the producing studios which change the whole way that music is heard. The music is now generally auto tuned by computers and can make a person who sings terribly sound like a star. The music is not as raw and the general beats and backing tracks are computer produced with artificial sounds and affects. Commonly the ones who use a huge amount of auto tune do appallingly when doing live shows so their careers are short lived, unless they lip sing every show they do. There are very few raw bands or artists, but when people find them they esteem and praise them for their raw honesty and are looked upon as sort of gods in the music industry. Such artists are the likes of Ed Sheeran, who use a simple guitar and voice to engage the audience.

Film in the Information Age 

Another type of entertainment that has changed is film, films used to be made with hundreds of cast members and very limited CGI was used however now films seem to be dominated by CGI and when a film has been produced without even a little bit of CGI it comes to a surprise to those in the information age. An example of this is Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar which was a great surprise to everyone as he used no CGI throughout the film and graced in the art of sets and extras. The film industry has quickly incorporated a lot of technology and is increasingly using more.

TV in the Information Age 

The screens of which we watch much of our entertainment on have also changed. The introduction of the flat screen was the first big step in the advances of the TV; it meant that we were able to watch the TV on a larger screen that didn’t even take up nearly as much room as the old box like versions. It also meant wherever you were in the room you would have perfect view of the TV without even a glare. Next came HD TV, this gave the TV 1080p instead of 480p and allowed viewers to watch TV perfectly crisply. And finally we have the 3d TV’s which have not progressed as rapidly as the flat screen of the HD. However it has changed the way that we can view our films and programmes, we are now able to have a cinema of our own in our front room. The advances of how we watch entertainment is just going to get bigger and better.

Games in the Information Age 

Playing games as a way of entertainment is now a lot different in the Information Age. Games used to be generally with a board game or some sort of toy that wasn't electronic and required you to use your own imagination. However the revolution of the most used type of entertainment he games console is what dominates the Information Age. Gaming consoles seem to be reaching nearly every generation; there are a countless number of people which use consoles as a source of entertainment. New games are coming out nearly all the time and people can’t seem to get enough of the super imposed games!

Scopes of Entertainment in the Information Age:

• ·        The amount of Entertainment has become so broad that there is so much to choose from
• ·        Increase employability
• ·        Some things are educational
• ·        Game consoles had said to of improved concentration and attention spans of those who have ADHD

Limitations of Entertainment in the Information Age:

• ·        Most of the entertainment aspects have made our generation “couch potato’s”
• ·        Entertainment has also reduced the productivity of people
• ·        They can be extremely addictive
• ·        Entertainment can also be a great distraction.

My own experience with Entertainment in the Information Age

I use a lot of entertainment to fill up the free time that I have, I have a TV and Xbox in my room and use them on a regular basis. I also listen to music pretty much every day and it will sometimes be the last thing I do before I go to bed is to listen to my favourite pieces. However I am often distracted by entertainment and even when I don’t have free time I’ll make time to watch my favourite TV shows or listen to a bit of music.

Education in the Information Age

Education in the information age

Education before the Information Age

 

Before the information age education was a much simpler thing, classrooms consisted of textbooks and whiteboards. Students would only have textbooks, note paper and pens within their bags and lessons would be run by the teacher regurgitating the textbook on the whiteboard. Things weren’t as interactive as they are now; school life consisted of a lot of paper and a lot of writing.

 

Changes to education in the Information Age 

The first change to the classroom came when the calculator was invented; it was the first computerised way of doing sums. This changed the classroom criteria completely; math lessons would now entail a calculator based lesson where students would learn how to use the calculator efficiently and effectively to work out sums. Then came the calculator exams, which tested students on their hard maths with the aid of a calculator. But to do well in the exams you had to be able to use the calculator well.

The Photocopier which was invented in 1959, allowed teachers to be able to photocopy interactive sheets or work that the class required, this meant more paper but less time organising. Things were made a lot easier for teachers as they could print multiple sheets of the same thing.

Then came the change in the way the exams were marked, instead of each paper being marked by hand in 1972 came the invention of the scantrons which were able to automatically grade multiple choice tests.

Then In the 1980’s came the movement of computers in school, this changed nearly everything. ICT became a part of the school curriculum and everyone was expected to know how to the use the basic software and to have some sort of keyboard knowledge. Simple documents could be written up on a computer and printed out instead of having to write things out.

One of the greatest changes in education came in 1999. The chalk boards and whiteboards were to be taken over by the SMART board. They were able to use a more interactive type of whiteboard in the classroom, with the touch sensitive white screen and projected computer screen.

Thus came the advances in the type of technology sued I the lessons, teachers would form then on teach their lessons through a PowerPoint which allowed teachers to present different slides and would be able to interact with the class without just using the textbooks, also be able to watch videos and play class games using the SMART board. It also made the teachers life a lot easier as they were able to type up work once and never have to type it again.

 

Education Now

Due to all the quick changes in the information age education for me is a lot different. As I entered primary school registers were still recorded on paper and stayed like that for the 7 years that I was there. However things did change in the classroom, for example every so often we would go to the small computer room that we had and would spend an hour doing a typing lesson or spend an hour using paint to create art of some sort.

Then things changed completely when I went to secondary school.  I had timetabled lessons of ICT from year 7; they were often and would teach us how to use the basic software on the computer. We were also given an email address and login, which allowed us to interact with our peers and our teachers. Teachers could send us work and we would reply via email.

In every classroom there was a SMART board, in every lesson they were generally used. Teachers would display a PowerPoint of which we would take down notes, we stilled had textbooks and still used them regularly for revision etc. Registration was also done electronically and all the records that the school has of me are stored electronically.

When I started all the documents in the school were just saved on a drive, which was then known as the W drive. However things changed and we now have what we know as FROG. This is a VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) which allows us to access learning resources through the school. You need a log in to get into the VLE and can access all of the work you have saved onto your drive and any resources you need for your subject; you are also able to view your timetable. I often have to submit work on FROG as well, as teachers set classes work via FROG.

For revision most of my work was typed up instead of hand written, I also used and  still use a memory stick to make sure that all my work was safe and that I did not lose any of it on the school system. Instead I am able to take my work home and use my stick anywhere.

Registration in school is also done electronically, the school uses SIMS which is an electronic way of keeping records on which students are present and why students may be off. It is a much easier way for the school to track the student’s whereabouts and our parents are now able to access the registration data to see if we have signed in and are at school.

 

Scopes of Education in the Information Age

 

·         Students have access to their online work wherever they are, limiting excuses on

          not being able to find work.

·         Teachers are able to set work electronically and can track who has handed it in on time.

·         Teachers and students can also contact each other via email. A form of communication which             can be used out of school hours.

·         The school can save a lot of room and time by keeping all the students information stored on    computers. They are able to easily access any information they need.

·         Students are able to access learning resources over the VLE’s to help with their subjects.

·         Increases possibility of employability

·         Saves time for teachers and students

·         Can make the classroom more interactive and interesting for students to attend.

 

Limitations of Education in the Information age

 

·         When sitting exams they require you to do a lot of writing instead of typing, we are having an increasing lack of practice. We have good keyboard skills but our handwriting is suffering.

·         Cost is expensive in school; unless the computers are updated regularly they will become slow and will not be able to be used.

·         Security is also a concern, as student can access each other’s data.

·         Students can lose data as they are not 100% reliable.  

·         Can be a great distraction in education

·         Plagiarism is easier to do now.

Employment in the Information Age

Employment in the information age

IT has influenced nearly every aspect of everyone’s lives, it has recently been stated that technology threatens a third of UK jobs. Jobs such as library assistants and clerks have already decreased by more than 40% across the UK since 2001. There are very few jobs that do not require some sort of computer skill. There are the obvious ones such as office working and newly advanced jobs like a postman who now requires carrying an electronic pad and record things electronically rather than with a paper and pen. Computers are found in all sorts of jobs were they wouldn’t have been before; things have changed and have done so rapidly. However there are still many places in the world that do not use computers instead of human power, the state of their economy depicts this.

 

Negative Impacts of IT on Employment

 

IT in business has the biggest impact in making things faster, more efficient and means that companies do not have to pay as many and as much wages. All these factors are good for the businesses performance but have a negative effect on the employment of people.

 

People have been put out of work because of the increase in IT in business. The industry’s that have been affected the greatest are things like the car industry, many mechanics and craftsmen have been made redundant due to the development in robotics which are now making cars quicker and more precisely than any manpower ever could. This also highlights how factory workers have been reduced in numbers as many things are now ran by computers themselves and their only needs to be someone there to overlook the machinery there is generally hardly any physical work now done inside a factory.

 

Another place that IT has replaced man power in is with skilled work such as sewing, many things are now mass produced so those people who are seamstresses are now out of jobs due to the advances in machinery being able to make the clothing faster and even at a better standard than someone who had stitches. Another skilled work that has suffered is the crafting industries such as wood and metal work; many things are now mass produced with the aid of machinery, there is no physical handling and crafting but rather the machineries finishing touch. This has meant those that have crafted for years are being replaced by the newest technology, business are no longer requiring crafts men/women.

 

Designer’s jobs have also been affected; people who are not particularly good at drawing can be trained to do computer design. These design are then aided by a computer who does it all itself, so there is no real need for someone who can draw perspectives or detailed work as it is much easier for a company to buy a computer that will do all the work for them.

 

 

 

Positive Impacts of IT on Employment

 Although computers and computer aided machinery may be taking over there are still many people that value hand crafted products and many would rather a hand crafted item than one made by a machine because they know that someone has put time and effort into making the item rather than it being mass produced, there is something authentic about it. So many crafts men are still required for peoples own satisfaction.

 

IT has meant that new jobs have been created we now need computer programmers and there is a lot of money in the industry. This means hat there are more job opportunities and as the industry expands it only means that there are going to be more jobs available.

 

We also require people who can maintain the equipment; we need computer technicians to fix the computers and to maintain a smooth system. This produces a new range of jobs, as we now need engineers in computing and require higher trained people to look after the computer aided machinery. This all results In the employees getting a higher wage as the computer industry is worth billions and the more you are involved the more knowledge you obtain so the more you are worth to them.

 

There are many online websites that have opened up a lot of job opportunities a great example of this is Amazon who have created thousands of jobs for people to work in their warehouses; as long as the website is in business their jobs are pretty much guaranteed. There are also companies such as Microsoft who specialise In online software’s who have opened up many jobs for apprentices and permanent positions.

 

 

Other Aspects

 

IT has made everyone’s job a little easier; computers have taken away a lot of chores. They have allowed us to do jobs that may have put us in dangerous situations such as going up to space, we now have machinery that can go there and film it all for us as we may not be able to cope in the conditions as well as a computer aided machine can.

 IT has also made many people’s jobs easier with things like the advances in SAT NAV’s which now allow delivery to be more efficient and easier for them to do. They are able to deliver things to locations that they may have never heard of before with the aid of their SAT NAV.

 We can now also work in great distances; we are able to transfer information across the world with ease. This has made many peoples jobs easier and more accessible worldwide.

 Office life has changed incredibly and most things in the office are now run by IT, there has also been a great expand in call centres and communication for businesses and between businesses over the internet.

All these factors have affected the amount of employment available, with many things being taken over by machinery meaning many lose out however it has also benefited others. Businesses are producing more and at a more effective rate, they are able to improve their efficiency and make jobs with higher wage potential open and available for people to take.

My own experience of employment in the information age

 

With my own Saturday job I use a computer ran till, I don’t have to enter any numbers I just scan the barcode of the item and the computer does the rest. The only thing I really have to think about is the amount of change I give back to the customer, but I am given a number and have to give the right coins or notes. So my employment has already been affected by IT, most things are ran by the computer in the store. I rarely have to write something, the most common thing I will write is my signature and possibly the date but even any communication with customers outside of the shop is done via a phone call or text. 

The Information Age

We are currently living in the information, where communication has been wilted down to an instant text or phone call and no longer requires us to meet physically. All of the greatest advances in the 20^th and 21^st century have been communication where it is extremely accessible and easy to get information from one place to another within seconds.

Communication has helped to spread things, to make it easily accessible to talk to those over the seas and to keep close contact with those we never see or physically meet. Newspapers where the start of a surge of information that was able to meet many people in one country and multiple countries at a mass rate, you didn't need to be at the crime scene to know the crime or be in parliament to know what the government were doing.

The next step in the information age was direct communication, it started with the use of a telegraph, radio and household phones which is when the information age really took over as you were able to instantly make a call and connect with someone who could have been 100’s of miles away.

However the biggest step in the information age was the discovery of the computer, the first type of computer was an electronic calculator which was an amazing discovery and in 1969 they were able to mass produce them in pocket size, but the newest discovery did come at a high cost of nearly £1000. But computers would generally take up rooms and would be used for design and storing data, however this all changed when the first PC (Personal Computer) came out in 1986 it had 256 bytes of memory and was situated on a circuit board. From then on the computer industry expanded drastically and began being sold in mass quantities with many different functions and abilities to them.

Another big step in the advances in the information age is the internet which expanded the limits of communication and this has only happening the last 10 years, we are now able to communicate and use the internet as a source of information 24/7.  The first company to be able to affectively use the internet on a device as small as a phone was Apple who created the iPhone which allowed you to use the internet on a little device you could take anywhere with you and ever since smart phones have been competing to be the fastest have the most efficient and easy access to the internet wireless.

 

When everything became more accessible and we were able to get information instantaneously is what makes us the information age, information is now able to be stored on tiny little chips which can store millions even billions of bits of information. From the PC came the laptop which was an easily movable computer to now a tablet which is compact and small enough for anyone to take nearly anywhere. TV’s are now also computers we can download things onto them and use them as ways of storing information and using thins like social media through the TV. It was once said that “There is no reason why anyone would want a computer in their home” and this have been disproved since the day it was said in 1977 as it would be a rare find if you found a house without a computer in it.

The capacity for the internet and micro chips to store information and to make our lives easier is expanding everyday, Bill gates himself said that “640K is enough for anybody” and he couldn't have been more wrong. In fact the average phone holds about 8GB of information and that is only one piece of information technology let alone the laptops, TV's and various devices they may have at home.

All these factors show just how rapidly we have entered the information age and just how much it is progressing, very few will grow up without a keyboard or a TV or even a mobile phone. This only highlights how knowledge is power and the more we progress in information technology the more it takes over and begins to run everyone’s lives being a great part of our everyday activities and it is only going to get bigger and even better.