The importance of taking ICT to the masses

Wednesday, 12 February 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The CSSL was established in 1976 and has been playing a major role in promoting Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for the past 36 years. We represent ICT professionals and also work towards developing them. It is a not-for-profit body. As part of our national role, we are involved in promoting ICT and increasing awareness. Today, we are even more committed to take its benefits to general public.

It is in this backdrop that we are starting this column with the support of Daily FT to bring you insights about latest development in the field of Information and Communications Technology encompassing various areas such as hardware, software, mobile applications, applications to government organisations, citizen services, internet, e-commerce and the like. Today, the first day, we thought of discussing the importance of taking ICT to masses. Now we have a society that knows a fair amount of things about ICT. Many students pick ICT studies during their OLs, ALs as well as after leaving school. In parallel the Government, NGOs and the private sector has started to introduce services that further increase its importance. While increasing awareness, increasing accessibility is also a need. That enables people to use and apply this knowledge. Some of the projects that have been initiated in this regard include rural workshops and telecentres/Nenasalas. Some of these infrastructure development projects are taking place in some of the very remote locations of our country. While such projects are underway, there is one school of thought that believes spending on popularising something like ICT rurally could be a potential waste. If people don’t see a value in it, or if they do not have a use or a need for it, a computer laboratory developed in a rural area is just that. It remains an unutilised laboratory for practical purposes. We don’t completely subscribe this argument. However there are some points to think about. Of course projects in rural areas are important in increasing the awareness and especially in helping our children catch-up with the technology. If a training centre is not provided to a certain village, a poor village kid may not have access to a computer, to the internet and to the outside world for that matter. But when it comes to adults and the broader society, just putting up labs may not help. If they don’t have a need, they will not use it or see a point in doing so. One example that would clarify the point being made here is the mobile phone. Fifteen years ago, it was a luxury that very few could afford. The availability of mobile phones was very low and networks were limited. Nevertheless, today many Sri Lankans use them extensively, regardless of social segments, economic segment or geographic locations. People have easy access to them. But they don’t just use it because mobile phones are cheap and readily available. They use it because they have a need, a purpose, and they understand the benefits it brings to their daily lives. Now let’s come back to the broader ICT category. Do people necessarily understand the need? The purpose? The benefits? Even if they do, do they know how to use it? How important are those uses? These things are the determinants that would decide if something new would catch up in the society or not. Today ICT is being slowly implemented in citizen services such as in the issue of birth certificates. Essential government services can use technology. The use of technology in such services obviously increases the efficiency of those services. The more we use it, the more there builds a need for them in the society. If we are not actually using technology for such important things, then the general masses will not have or see a need in it. So, while awareness increasing projects are taking place, and while these infrastructure development projects are taking place, there is a need to actually use it for practical purposes and demonstrate to people that there are benefits. Those benefits will automatically drive the spreading of ICT among the masses, just like mobile phones spread across the country at a rapid pace. The Government, private sector and other organisations have a big role to play in this. Today, the CSSL is committed to launch a series of initiatives in 2014 to develop awareness among school children as well as school teachers. We believe school teachers will be an effective channel to address students. This is part of our core strategy. We hope to let you know the progress we make through this column.