STS: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY
MODULE 3.1: THE INFORMATION AGE
2ND SEMESTER | S.Y. 2021-2022
LECTURER: MS. SHENA RAMYR CABO
LESSON 1: DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFORMATION
AGE
TECHNOLOGY & THE PAST
❑ BEFORE: Clock, Compass, Calendar
❑ NOW: These technologies are just simple
functions of a smartphone.
❑ BEFORE: photocopier, a printing press, and a
typewriter
❑ NOW: laptop and a multi-function printer
❑ BEFORE: CRT television – obsolete technology
❑ NOW: smart TVs
NATURE OF INFORMATION
❖ Information comes from the Latin word,
informare = give form, shape, or meaning to
something
❖ The main purpose of information is
communication. If it's not conveyed to someone
or something, then information loses its purpose.
❖ Information can convey a ➢ Suddenly, one can mass produce information
representation of our reality. For
instance, this is a symbol (blue circle
with I cursive), which represents information.
❖ The structure of information usually involves
three essential attributes:
➢ Agent
➢ Sign
➢ Thing
❖ The agent is the one interpreting the thing, which
is then represented by the sign. In this picture, the
man is the agent. And the sign informs him that
he can no longer go any further since it's a dead
end.
TRANSCRIBED BY: KATE LINDSAY MONTESCLAROS
INFORMATION ERAS
❖ There are many ways of categorizing different
information eras. If, based on the difficulty of
access and distribution of information, then we
can revolve around the invention of the printing
press.
➢ The printing press allowed the mass
distribution of information.
❖ It was a German craftsman by the name of
Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the printing
press.
❖ Before its invention, information is hard to
replicate and distribute. We can then call this era
the pre-Gutenberg era.
➢ In this age, information is mostly transmitted
by word-of-mouth. Only the elite can also
access information since they're the ones
with the power and wealth to do so. Most
books in this era are handwritten.
❖ This scenario changed upon the invention of the
printing press. We call this period the Gutenberg
era
such as books. But the cost is expensive.
➢ This era birthed the rise of information
mediation institutions. These are businesses
that use information as a currency, such as
news, banks, and music industries. These
institutions produce what we call traditional
media. Books, newspapers, music CDs, radio
and TV news are just some examples of
traditional media.
❖ With the invention of the modern computer and
the development of the internet in the 1980s, the
post-Gutenberg era began.
➢ We also regard this as the start of the
Information Age. Mass distribution became
easier, and access to information became
somewhat free.
➢ This era also marks the rise of social media,
which provides more advantages as
compared to traditional media. With the rise
of social networks and crowdsourcing,
traditional media became less necessary.
 SOME IMPACTS OF INFORMATION AGE
❖ The information age has led to new advances in
science and technology. Research advances in
physics, chemistry, and biology led to the
betterment of our daily lives.
➢ These advances further enhance our current
technology. Soon, everyone will be using
driverless cars and exploring virtual and
augmented realities.
❖ However, not all impacts of the information age
are positive. Due to the advances in technology,
we now become too dependent on it. Some of
you may even think that it's the end of your life
when there's no internet connection.
❖ In general society, on the other hand, the
information age has brought convenience and
efficiency in our daily tasks.
➢ We can easily communicate with anyone in
the world through social media. However,
many of us are already addicted to social
media apps.
LESSON 2: SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE INFORMATION
AGE
SOCIAL vs. TRADITIONAL MEDIA
❖ Traditional Media or Gutenberg principle
➢ This principle basically states that you need to
pay if you want information.
➢ Buying newspapers and DVDs, and
advertising on radio and television are just a
few examples of the Gutenberg principle
❖ In contrast to traditional media, social media
follows the social information principle
➢ In this ideology, information is owned, not by
institutions, but by everyone. So, if everyone
is the owner, then accessing information is
virtually free.
❖ When you search in Google, for instance, you are
actually accessing information provided by other
people. A similar thing happens on Facebook.
❖ However, access to Facebook and other social
media sites are not actually free. You are actually
paying them with your personal information.
➢ And these social media sites have the right to
use and sell this information to third-party
sites. That is actually written in the
agreement when you signed up with these
sites, but you just lazily clicked the Agree
button.
➢ This means that Lazada or Shopee can sell
your private information to Facebook, which
what they are actually doing. You will then see
personalized advertisements on Facebook
regarding your Lazada or Shopee searches.
ADVANTAGES
❖ Crowdsourcing - Information published by other
people can be used and can be enhanced by
society.
➢ An example of this is the comments section in
a video or a shopping site. Comments can tell
or warn other users to buy or not to buy a
product. Online businesses can also use this
feedback to improve their products and
services.
❖ Social Networking - You can reach your loved
ones, friends, or business partners, who may be
on the other side of the world, through the use of
Facebook or Instagram.
SOME IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Are the impacts of social media all good? NO
❖ For instance, a student or a teacher can easily
access educational information on the internet or
on social media sites. But equally, one can also
easily access dangerous, fake, or even sexual
information.
❖ In terms of business, social media is a better
platform for advertisements as compared to
traditional media. Most businesses today, though,
are using a blend of traditional and social media
to market their products. As mentioned before,
businesses can understand customers better
through crowdsourcing.
❖ Because of social media, there is now a rise in
transparency in doing business. However, social
media presents a challenge in institutionalizing
trust.
➢ Unlike traditional businesses, which have
developed trust with their patrons, purely
online businesses may have a hard time
developing trust and confidence with their
customers.
❖ The economy is also disrupted by social media
since direct buying is common, and middlemen
are no longer needed.
❖ In general society, social media is advantageous in
meeting people beyond geographical
boundaries. It can bring together like-minded
people. However, our privacy can be invaded due
to the information that we publish. And addiction
to social media sites has been a growing concern
in all countries.