Celebrating Technology

May 15, 2009—We live in a world where people can use their mobile phones to pay bills, transfer money to other accounts, and store their savings. Where health workers in South Africa use SMS to report on patients and receive guidance on patient care. Where you can "go to school" by watching TV. Where refugees receive news of food distribution via UN text messages. Where you can receive more information than you ever wanted about every move your friends make throughout the day: haircuts, new shoes, and banal status updates such as "I'm feeling bored."

It's all thanks to technology, or more specifically, information and communication technology (ICT), which is the term used for Internet, TV, radio, mobile phones and other technologies through which we can communicate and share information.

To commemorate the huge impact of ICT on our lives, the UN proclaimed May 17 as World Information Society Day. The day was created to help raise awareness of:

• How the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can help societies develop
• Ways to help reduce the digital divide.

This year, the day focuses on the theme: Protecting Children in Cyberspace.

Why is this important? Because while the Internet can be an amazing tool for learning, connecting with peers and sharing information, it also has some hidden dangers. According to Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, "three in four children are willing to share personal information about themselves and their family online in exchange for goods and services. One in five is targeted by a predator or pedophile each year."

Learn more in this message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

What do you think about the role ICT plays in development? Have you seen its impact in your country? How has it changed your life? Send your response to youthink@worldbank.org. 

Related Links

We Are What We Do
Using the Internet to mobilize people to create change.

Mobile Jam Fest
A platform for youth to use mobile technology to communicate, become active global citizens and make positive social change.

Do Something
Using the power of online to get teens to do good stuff offline.

MobileActive.org
A community of people and organizations using mobile phones for social impact.

SAWA Global
Empowers grassroots leaders in the world's poorest countries by documenting their projects with media tools and connecting them to a global community.

infoDev
Supporting global sharing of information on ICT for development (ICT4D)

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