FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev.

01 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 10

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 10

THE INFORMATION AGE

MODULE OVERVIEW

The Information Age is now upon us. The pace at which technology is evolving is ever increasing –
and people are eager to embrace it. With computers, cell phones, pagers, calculators, video game consoles
and many other technologically advanced products, communication has changed dramatically. The
information age is changing people’s everyday activities and making tedious tasks run more efficiently.
Personal use and business-related use of computers and technology are constantly increasing. Although
there are many positive aspects of the Information Age, there are also many negatives, such as how the
Internet is unregulated. Also, there's a very large legal issue over privacy, as well as many ethical issues
computer-users face daily. Many believe that this era, as developed as it currently is, will continue to progress
and evolve over the years to come.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this Module, you must have achieved the following:
1. linked learned concepts to the development of the information age and its impact on society
2. illustrated how the social media and the information age have impacted our lives

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Timing Your Technology

How much are you intertwined with your gadgets and the internet? Let us reflect on this through this
activity.
1. Form groups with 4 – 5 members.
2. Each member should determine how much they use gadgets or devices for 7 days. These gadgets or
devices include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Cellular phones, or any equivalent device
b. Computers, or any equivalent device
c. Tablets, or any equivalent device
d. Television, or any equivalent device
e. Radio, or any equivalent device
3. Each member should log or write his or her activities using these gadgets during this time period. The
logs would be collated by the group’s leader. The log should include, but is not limited to, the
following:
a. Gadget or device that the group member used.
b. Activities that the member used each gadget or device for.
c. Total time that the member used each gadget or device for each activity.
d. Reflection on the experience.
4. The group will discuss the results and their experiences for this activity. The group should look
particularly on similarities of the members, as well as the idiosyncrasies or peculiarities that they
observe. The group will submit a summary of their reports, not exceeding two (2) pages, and should
ultimately include an over-all reflection on how much time we are using technology. Visual aids or
materials are highly encouraged, especially graphs, tables, or charts.
5. What have you learned from timing your technology?

DEFINITION OF INFORMATION AGE

Information age is the modern time in which information has become a commodity that is transmitted
freely, easily and quickly by using personal computer networks. This period is also called the Computer Age,
the Digital Age, and the New Media Age. It is the period that started in the last quarter of the 20th century.

According to James R. Messenger who proposed the theory of Information age in 1982, “the
Information age is true age based upon the interconnection of computers via telecommunications, with these

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 01 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 10

information systems operating on both a real time and as needed basis.

HISTORY OF INFORMATION AGE

Just like the Industrial Revolution, the Information Age was driven primarily by technological
breakthroughs which shifted the focus from industry to information. These technological advancements made
the transmission and storage of information become much faster and more efficient, which drives the
developments much more.

The Information Age can arguably be traced from the invention of the transistor, a device that can
amplify or switch electronic signals. This invention made it possible for a better way of storing and processing
information. Further developments in this area include the invention of electronic devices such as the
integrated circuit and the microprocessor, which miniaturized and compacted further the functionalities of
transistors.

During the 1970s, the personal computer was developed, which immensely improved information
processing, transmission, and storage. This also opened new areas of innovation and helped in improving
productivity in the workplace and businesses. The Rise of the Personal Computer

The development of the personal computer in the 1970s was a major turning point in the Information
Age. Personal computers made computing accessible to individuals and small businesses, and they helped to
usher in a new era of innovation and productivity. Altair 8800, released in 1975, was the first personal
computer available to the masses. Six years later, the IBM Personal Computer was released, which became
one of the most popular personal computers in the market at the time.

Further developments include the development of the Internet, a worldwide system of interconnected
networks that facilitate data transmission among computers. This was first developed by the military, which
allowed fast communication and sharing of information. In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide
Web, which made it possible to easily access and share information on the Internet.

By the 1990s, smartphones became commercial and integrated the function of computers and
telephones. Becoming popular to everyone, billions of people now have access to information and are able to
communicate cheaply and efficiently.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

Reflection

Are you using social media platforms? If you are, reflect on the following questions:

1. What social media platforms do I use?

2. What kind of content do I post?
3. How much time do I spend on social media activities each day?
4. Why do I use social media platforms?
5. What advantages do I get from using social media platforms?
6. What disadvantages do I experience using social media platforms?
7. What are some significant mistakes I made while learning about social media?

ISSUES

The growth of information transmission, recording, and management grew at a fast rate, causing
great difficulty. Countless technological innovations have been popping out every day, which creates a feeling
of Information Anxiety, as coined by Richard Saul Wurman. These rapid technological developments cause
feelings of confusion, panic and worry as one needs to become much more adept in navigating a very
complex technological world.

This also causes a technological divide, an issue that creates a delineation between those with
access in technological developments and those who do not. Those with access due to their financial

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 01 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 10

capabilities and training become much more adept in navigating the current world, and those who have limited
to no access become much more entrenched in their current situation. For example, if one has no access to
the latest technology, career and educational opportunities may become scarcer, which will contribute to their
continuing poor financial situation.

Some of the results of information growth are also enumerated by Harris (2000) in his article The
Truth of the Information Age. According to Harris, there is focus on the quantity of information delivered to
those who consume it. If there is too little information available, repetition of content or emphasis on content
with no real importance is sometimes being done by those who deliver this information.

He also observed that information is now treated as a commodity. It is consumed voraciously by

readers, viewers, and reactors. Those who deal with information as a business, then, would have marketing
strategies for them to “sell” information and quash the competitors (techniques such as exaggeration and
exclusivity are just some used by the information industry for this).

There is also an obsession with becoming the first to deliver the message, as the one who delivers it
first usually sets the narrative of the situation and contextualizes the information to their own agenda. Also,
there is a perception that everything new is true. Truth also becomes much more difficult to determine, as
there is a rampancy of fake news and intentional or unintentional misinterpretation of facts.

According to Mason (1986), there are four major issues that the Information Age may cause: (1)
privacy (who can have access to information and how one could prevent anyone unauthorized from accessing
this information), (2) accuracy (whether the information is authentic and who are responsible in overseeing
and assuring the truthfulness of the information), (3) property (who owns the information and how ownership
of this information can be protected), and (4) accessibility (how someone can obtain information and who
determines individuals or groups which have the right to obtain these information).

Many specific scandals have rocked the world because of these issues. One of the recent issues
includes the Equifax Data Breach in 2017, where personal data of millions of people, such as names and
Social Security numbers, were compromised, leading to a reexamination of many protocols in data privacy.
Another infamous one is the Facebook-Cambridge Data Analytica Scandal of 2018, where Cambridge
Analytica was accused of illegally mining data from Facebook to create profiles of its users for political
advertising. The Fortnite scandal of 2022, where the creators were found to violate privacy laws using dark
patterns, had resulted in millions of penalties for Epic Games, Inc. Another is the Ashley Madison (a website
for extramarital affairs) data breach in 2015, which led to blackmailing to shut down the website in exchange
for prevention of the revealing of the users of the website.

In addition to these, other issues include identity theft, scamming, online predation, pornography,
cyberbullying, illegal tracking, online harassment, piracy, rise of fake news and misinformation, and many
others which greatly affect the public. Identity theft involves stealing another person’s identity without the
other’s authorization, which, due to the rise of many hacking techniques, has become much more rampant.
Online predation is the exploitation of minors, usually sexual in nature, but may also include harassment and
threats. Pornography, which depicts sexual and erotic depictions for sexual gratification or excitement, may
be accessed by those who are not the targets of these materials, such as children. Cyberbullying involves
using technology (such as social media) in posting mean and unwanted media to others, with malice or the
intent to cause harm. Illegal tracking involves using a device or technology to determine another person’s
location without his or her knowledge or consent. Piracy, which became easier due to many technological
techniques, is the reproduction and use of other’s property without their consent. There is also a rampant rise
of false and unverified information, that has been believed by many people due to the difficulty of detecting
what is true and what is not.

For the next section, a significant issue will be looked into: the rise of social media. Here, we can
have a more contextualized look at the effects of what the Information Age has brought to society.

Social Media

Social media involves certain characteristics. First, they need to be interactive; that is, there is a way
for the user to share their thoughts or emotions, and so are the ones accessing the platform. Second, the
content of the platform is generally generated by the user (either created or shared) in a variety of formats
(text, video, image, etc.). Third, profiles for the platform are created for the users (such as accounts). Fourth,

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 3

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 01 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 10

there is an emphasis on networking between users.

These characteristics create many types of social media platforms. According to Kaplan and Haenlin
(2010), social media platforms can be classified as:

1. Collaborative projects. This includes sites like Wikipedia, and other wiki-based sites, where users
can create and edit content or projects.

2. Blogs, microblogs, and internet forums. These are applications which allow communication of
individuals to others in cyberspace through different media such as text, pictures, audio, or video.
Those who follow this content may pose comments to these messages. Examples include Twitter
and Huffington Post.

3. Content Communities. This is a type of social media platform where the main objective is to share
media such as videos, audio, and images. This includes YouTube, Flickr, and many others.

4. Social Networking Sites. These sites aim to connect users through social communication,
necessitating personal profile creation, access to other profiles, messaging, and others. Facebook,
LinkedIn, and many dating sites are examples of these sites.

5. Virtual Game Worlds. These are platforms where users can participate in games in a virtual
environment. World of Warcraft and many massively multiplayer online role-playing games are
included in this category.

6. Virtual Social Worlds. This type allows users to have avatars and live their virtual lives in virtual
worlds. The Sims Online and Second Life are some examples of these.

The rise of social media led to many developments in almost all areas involving communication and
networking. These include advertising, entertainment, politics, business, support communities, education, and
support. Through faster and more efficient ways of transmitting and sharing information to a large group of
people, individuals are now able to be more connected more than ever. There are greater opportunities for
interaction, exchange of cultures and beliefs, and expression of ideas and creativity more than ever.

However, this rise also presented some major issues. According to Hunter, et al. (2018), “privacy;
anonymity and confidentiality; authenticity; the rapidly changing SM environment; informed consent;
recruitment, voluntary participation, and sampling; minimizing harm; and data security and management” are
some of the major concerns of social media. Due to the advancement of technology, it is easier to get
someone’s identity even if he or she does not give his or her consent. Some believe that it is easier to
become anonymous, though some also believe that it is much more difficult (a paradox formed due to
technological advancement). Determining the truth becomes much more difficult, and spreading lies and
perpetuating them became much easier. Obanan (2020) also identified specific issues such as cyberbullying,
marginalization, and misrepresentation as those which arose due to social media platforms.

We cannot deny that these issues are brough about by information technology. We also cannot deny
the number of benefits we reap from these technologies. This creates a large responsibility among those who
are using the fruits of the Information Age in balancing these boons and banes.

Data Privacy Act

Due to these difficult issues that information technology has brought to society, different steps have
been undertaken to ensure that our rights as individuals are protected. One such step is the passing of
Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy act of 2012 (DPA) with the aim ““to protect the fundamental
human right to privacy of communication while ensuring free flow of information to promote innovation and
growth [and] the [State’s] inherent obligation to ensure that personal information in information and
communications systems in government and in the private sector are secured and protected”.

RA 10173 covers both the public and the private sector, outlining the rights and responsibilities of the
data owner. These rights include consent, information, correction, objection, and portability, among others.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 4

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 01 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 10

This law protects the individual from the use of hir or her data without his or her permission. This also
encourages the protection of data by those who record and hold it. This theoretically ensures that
organizations will try to respect data privacy and informed consent.

Personal information is the main concern of this law. This data pertains to “any information whether
recorded in a material form or not, from which the identity of an individual is apparent or can be reasonably
and directly ascertained by the entity holding the information, or when put together with other information
would directly and certainly identify an individual.” Exempted from this are information like bank information
for certain legal activities, information for journalistic, artistic, literary or research purposes, information
regarding a government employee in relation to his function, and others.

This law is very apt for the Philippines, as information and communications technology has been an
extremely important tool in nation-building. Thus, having access to information also means that they have an
overwhelmingly large amount of power. Controlling this information will allow the control of the nation. If
abuses were made due to the lack of guidelines and laws, there would be dire consequences for the
development of the Philippines.

It is not only important in the level of the state but also in communities and individuals. According to
the Digital 2022 Global Overview Report, Filipinos from 16 to 64 usually spend around 10.5 hours a day
connected to the internet, while the global average is around 7 hours. We have been consistently one of the
top social media users in the world. This means we have an unimaginable amount of information being
transmitted, shared, stored, and accessed. This highlights how important certain laws are pertaining to
information.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3

Reflection

Based on your learning on the issues concerning social media and information technology, reflect on
the following questions:

1. In your own opinion, which issue posed by developments of information technology and social media
do you think is the most serious or causes the most harm? Why?
2. Do you think that the Data Privacy Act of 2012 is enough in protecting citizens against threats of
information technology? Why or why not?

SUMMARY

The following learning points summarize what you have learned in this section:
 The Information Age (sometimes called the Digital Age and the New Media Age) is a period starting in
the last quarter of the 20th century when information became effortlessly accessible through
publications and through management of information by computers and computer networks.
According to James R. Messenger, who proposed the Theory of Information Age in 1982, this
interconnection operates on real-time and as-needed basis, and that they are driven by convenience
and user-friendliness.
 However, the growth of information transmission, recording, and management grew at a fast rate,
causing great difficulty. It also created a technological divide between those who can afford internet
services and those who cannot, increasing the gap between socioeconomic classes. Other problems
that is caused by these developments include compromise on reliability, which gives rise to
misinformation; reinforcement of biases and beliefs of like-minded people belonging to social media;
control of public opinion and harassment; online predation, identity theft, scamming, and other new
crimes; pornography; and cyberbullying.

REFERENCES

 Ecker, D. (2014). Germ Catcher. Scientific American. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263779261_Germ_Catcher
 Mason, R. O. (1986). Four Ethical Issues of the Information Age. MIS Quarterly, 10(1), 5.
doi:10.2307/248873

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 5

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 01 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 10

 Obanan, J.M.A.C.P.M.J.A.V.M.S.E. P. (2020). Science, Technology, and Society. C&E Publishing,

Inc.. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9789719812104
 Putin, O. (2014, July 30). Science, Technology, and Information on the Modern Battlefield (Full
Documentary). [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUtfXuKQ7us
 Quinto, Edward Jay M. and Nieva, Aileen D. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. Quezon City:
C&E Publishing.
 TED. (2010, July 19). Julian Assange: Why the world needs WikiLeaks. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNOnvp5t7Do
 The Information Age. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2022, from
https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3974.html
 Valverde, R.B.F.D.J.M.S.V. M. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. C&E Publishing, Inc..
https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9789719809357

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 6