Quality Life

• Environmental concerns created by information technology

  • Manufacturing and usage by-products
  • Disposal by-products
  • Environmental blight
  • Possible risks of nanotubes
• Manufacturing and usage by-products

  Semiconductor industry has knowingly exposed workers to hazardous toxins<|>Wireless systems can disrupt pacemakers and other life saving devices<|>Data centers projected to surpass airline industry as greenhouse polluters by 2020
• Disposal by-products


  Technologies going obsolete<|>Electronic waste in landfills contains toxins that can leach into groundwater or produce dioxins<|>Reduce use of toxic materials and recycle old computers<|>Recycling initiatives for electronics like cellphones, printer cartridges, and printers
• Environmental blight


  Impact on vegetation and wildlife<|>Effect on views and property values
• Possible risks of nanotubes

  Nanotubes could create contaminants whose tiny size makes them especially hazardous<|>Nanotubes injected into mice developed lung lesions similar to asbestos exposure<|>Extra precautions advised for those working with nanotubes
• Problems with isolation, gambling and stress from information technology


  • Isolation
  • Gambling
  • Stress
• Isolation


  As people spend more time online, they have less time for real life relationships<|>An hour spent using the internet reduces face-to-face contact by 23.4 minutes<|>Video game play activates brain areas responsible for addiction and reward
• Gambling


  70% of global online gambling revenues are from the US, with legal offshore sites fighting back
• Stress


  Abusive and violent behavior by employees toward computers<|>Excessive technology use can produce "info-mania" and a 10 point IQ drop
• Steps parents can take to protect children from inappropriate material

  • Pornography
  • Online sexual predators
  • Cyberbullies
• Pornography


  Audio "porncasts" available for downloading<|>Disseminators of child pornography despite efforts to block access<|>Online blocking software, DVD filters, video game rating systems, V-chip, and ".xxx" web addresses used to shield children
• Online sexual predators


  Girls 13-15 are primary targets, often willingly meeting and agreeing to sex<|>Monitoring internet use, being candid with children, and cautioning about revealing too much information can help prevent this
• Cyberbullies


  Children 9-18 use the internet to taunts, spread rumors, and humiliate peers<|>Saving evidence, blocking messages, and contacting authorities can help deal with cyberbullies
• Ways information technology does not make us productive

  • Misuse of technology
  • Fussing with computers
  • Information overload
• Misuse of technology


  Employees may waste time playing games, browsing, or looking at inappropriate sites while appearing busy
• Fussing with computers


  Time wasted waiting for programs, checking output, helping coworkers, organizing storage, and dealing with internet issues like spam and viruses
• Information overload


  Work done outside official work hours, including voluntary or donated work like user-generated content<|>Improving productivity is about adding more value per unit of time, not just working longer