scholarly journals The Impact of Mobile Phone Uses in the Developing World

Author(s):  
Sylvain K. Cibangu ◽  
Mark Hepworth ◽  
Donna Champion

In recent years, the rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs) contrasted with the dire living conditions of the world's poorest has been the subject of debate among industry and academia. However, despite the amount of writings produced on mobile phones, Western bias is surprisingly unbridledly prevailing alongside the fêted dissemination of mobile phones. Expansive literature tends to present the rapid adoption of mobile phones among rural individuals, with little to no indication of how local values and voices are respected or promoted. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 16 rural chiefs to inquire into ways in which mobile phones enabled socio-economic development in the rural Congo. Rather than using quantitative, large-scale, or top-down data, we sought to give voice to chiefs themselves about the role of mobile phones. We found that Western bias dominates the literature and deployment of mobile phones more than usually acknowledged. We suggested some paths forward, while bringing the African communal Utu or Ubuntu culture to the center stage.

Author(s):  
Sylvain K. Cibangu ◽  
Donna Champion ◽  
Mark Hepworth

Around the turn of the year 2020, unprecedented challenges rocked the world, casting a spotlight on large swathes of the world's populations still unconnected and those connected being gravely plagued by inequalities and racism. The promises of rapid/digital mobile phone dissemination around the world have evaporated. To add to these woes, despite the amount of writings produced on mobile phones, Western bias is surprisingly unbridledly prevailing alongside the fêted wireless connections/apps. Expansive literature tends to present the rapid adoption of mobile phones among rural individuals, with little to no indication of how local values and voices are respected or promoted. This chapter is a study that undertook semi-structured interviews with 16 rural chiefs to inquire into ways in which mobile phones enabled socio-economic development in the rural Congo. Rather than using quantitative, large-scale, or top-down data, the study sought to give voice to chiefs themselves about the role of mobile phones.


Multilingua ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 517-528
Author(s):  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Yuqin Wu

AbstractTranslation is an important means of enabling access to information in an emergency response. Increasingly, volunteer translators have been using social media platforms to self-organize and carry out urgent translation tasks that effectively complement official disaster relief efforts. However, the role of crowdsourced translations and the capacity of volunteer translators in reducing the impact of disasters remain underestimated and therefore understudied. Based on semi-structured interviews with five volunteer translators and online observation of their translation practices, this study investigates the role of a volunteer-driven crowdsourced translation effort in facilitating the donation and procurement of medical supplies between Wuhan and the world. By addressing the real challenges of urgent crisis communication in Wuhan in the early stages of the pandemic, this study draws attention to the need to integrate information and communication technologies with multilingual resources for disaster relief. In addition, it calls for the inclusion of multilingual logistics in national emergency preparation, response and recovery plans.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mammar Belagra ◽  
Belkacem Draoui

The purpose of this research was to study the impact of project-based learning and information and communication technologies on students’ motivation. Two second-year classes in electrical engineering at the University Tahri Mohamed in Béchar, Algeria, were involved in the study. The experiment compared the level to which one class of students mastered goals without the use of information and communication technologies, to the mastery achieved by a second class which participated in a tutorial that has a technological tool built into the project-based approach. The subject of power electronics was chosen for this study because of its different knowledge, which is strongly represented in difficult learning contents for students. A questionnaire about motivation was used to collect data within an experimental research plan. After three months of conducting the study, the results demonstrated that the integration of the tutorial with the project-based approach is likely to increase students’ motivation to learn and to master the subject of power electronics.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 283-294
Author(s):  
H P P Lötter

I provide a philosophical analysis of the claim that ICTs are necessary preconditions for the eradication of poverty. What are the links between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and poverty? I first define technology and then give a brief depiction of ICTs. Thereafter I define poverty and give a brief expla-nation of its context and causes. Next I discuss the relationship between poverty and ICTs in three paradigm cases: [i] the role of ICTs in poor societies, [ii] the effect of poor ICT knowledge and skill of individuals in highly developed technological societies, and [iii] the impact of impoverished ICT knowledge and skills on the rich, powerful, and intelligent ones in society. I propose a procedure for decision making about the appropria-tion of ICTs by individuals and societies. I assess the claim that both access to ICTs and effective use of them are preconditions for the eradication of poverty.


Upravlenie ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-124
Author(s):  
R. S. Rogulin

Information and communication technologies have become an integral part of our life. Supply chain management is also currently in a digital transformation, especially during the period of disruptions in global and local supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to provide an empirical descriptive analysis of the role of digital technologies in improving the efficiency and recovery of supply chains, as in the pre-crisis period and in a pandemic.The research is based on the processing of statistical data and macroeconomic indicators, presented in the public domain. The following indicators were considered as basic indicators: gross domestic product as a characteristic of the level of economic development of Russia before the crisis; Logistics efficiency index; Digital Life Index. For comparative analysis, countries from different categories were selected in the context of the selected assessment indicators. The results obtained confirmed the significant role of information and communication technologies in improving the efficiency and restoration of supply chains destroyed in connection with COVID-19 pandemic.It has been concluded that at the national level, developed economies showed high efficiency of their logistics systems and high scores of digital life rating. For countries with a level of economic development below average, the impact of information and communication technologies on the efficiency of the logistics system was not decisive in this context. The implementation of information and communication technologies makes it possible to restore the supply chains destroyed by the crisis and increase their efficiency, because of which a business in a pandemic gets a chance to survive.The results of this study can be used by heads of enterprises of various levels in determining the strategy and tactics of enterprise development, including crisis management. Research methods and data can be applied by researchers to further research into the impact of information and communication technologies on the recovery and efficiency of global and local supply chains, including considering updated data that consider the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the indicators used in this article.


Author(s):  
Bárbara Barbosa Neves ◽  
Fausto Amaro

The elderly have traditionally been an excluded group in the deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Even though their use of ICT is increasing, there is still a significant age-based digital divide. To empower elderly people’s usage of ICT we need to look at their patterns of usage and perceptions. To understand how Portugal’s elderly (65 and above) use and perceive mobile phones, computers and the Internet, we surveyed a random stratified sample of 500 individuals over 64 years of age, living in Lisbon. Of those surveyed, 72% owned a mobile phone, 13% used computers, and 10% used the Internet. The quantitative data was followed-up by ten qualitative (semi-structured) interviews. The implications of the results are discussed herein.   Keywords: Elderly, Aging, ICT, Ageism, Digital Divide, Mobile phones, Computers, Internet, Portugal, “faux users”


Author(s):  
Bitange Ndemo ◽  
Dennis Aiko

Mobile technologies are creating unprecedented changes in Kenya. The ways in which people conduct business have been disrupted, and citizens can access information and services in a more efficient manner. Kenya is also among the leading countries to leverage mobile technology for greater financial inclusivity. This chapter reviews the policy framework that has underpinned Kenya’s digital transformation, as well as the impact and disruptions caused by innovations in information and communication technologies (ICT) that have been introduced as a result. The chapter considers the potentially transformative role of emerging mobile and digital technologies by assessing the favorable economic, organizational, political, social, and cultural environments necessary for their development. It concludes that the development of a progressive policy in a fast-changing technological landscape has catapulted Kenya to the ranks of innovative nations, but that such technology is not a panacea for broader development and governance concerns.


Author(s):  
Omar Mar Cornelio ◽  
Bárbara Bron Fonseca ◽  
Fernando Rodríguez Marzo

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are incorporated into everyday processes in people's practical lives. Man's demands for technology are increasing, significantly reducing the time of use of the media, causing the phenomenon known as technological obsolescence. The problems described above directly impact the environment through garbage dumps, the escape of particles into the seas, among other effects. In Cuba, numerous efforts are being made to reduce the impact on the ecology for which a recycling program has been drawn up through the Raw Materials Company. However, there are components that, due to their nature of construction or composition, are not possible to recycle with the tools that the country currently has. This research describes a solution to the problem posed by creating a methodological proposal aimed at technological reuse. The field of action is the Computer Architecture subject taught in the Computer Science Engineering career, a set of activities is proposed for distribution in the subject contents.


Author(s):  
John Burbridge ◽  
Jayoti Das ◽  
Cassandra DiRienzo

Throughout the world, the number of e-government applications enabled by information and communication technologies (ICT) is proliferating. Some of the newer applications allow for interaction between government officials and its citizenry. As a result, the concept of a public sphere and e-democracy is becoming more of a reality. In all of these applications, one would expect that the level of trust within the society would be an important factor in determining the level of adoption. Using cross-country data from 140 countries, this empirical study extends past research by examining the impact of trust on the level of e-government where national diversity is used as a proxy of trust within a nation. The major empirical finding of this research shows that, even after controlling for the level of economic development and other socio-economic factors, trust as measured by ethnic and religious diversity, was a significant factor affecting e-government usage.


Author(s):  
Davison M. Mupinga ◽  
George R. Maughan

Today’s career and technical education (CTE) teachers and trainers are subjected to a number of challenges caused by work systems and processes that are science and technology-based. Furthermore, the advent of information and communication technologies (ICT) and characteristics of Millennial students has greatly influenced their roles. This chapter examines the impact of ICT and influence of today’s students on the role of the 21st Century CTE teachers and trainers. The chapter describes information and communication technologies, application of ICT in education and training, characteristics of millennium students; contextual challenges and role changes for today’s teachers and trainers, and provides suggestions to integrate ICT with instruction.


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