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Hassan Fakeeh
ENG 203 /sec 46
Jacqueline Farah
Oct. 5, 2013
Response #2 Draft #1
Social Effects of Digital Technology
Over the past decades, humanity witnessed a technological revolution
that was never witnessed before. This revolution arisen due to the rapid
development and improvement in science and inventions. This uprising
changed everybodys lives in all domains. One of the most common affected
part by digital technology is the social issues we face in our daily lives. The
effect of digital technology on our societal lives and issues are bulk enough
to be noticed by anyone; however that doesnt mean that the effects are
usually negative. Digital technology has a huge double faced impact on our
social matters , which could be positive or negative.

The most common uprising negative impact of digital technology in the

present time is cybercrime. Cybercrime symbolizes the online insecurity and
risk and its widely used today to describe the crimes or harms that are
committed using networked technology (Wall, 2008, p1). This definition
summarizes what cybercrime is. From his brief definition we can tell that its

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the criminal act that hackers do using digital technology which is of course
the Internet. This insecurity of the web affects us socially in a negative
manner. Cybercrime prevents or lowers the use of the many facilitating tools
provided by the internet, such as online shopping and e-mailing, due to the
fear individuals possess from being robbed or spammed (i.e feeling insecure)
by hackers that are all over the web. This dread is due to the ignorance
people are in with respect to the hackers who are much powerful and
knowledgeable about programming and internet technology. Not only that,
but also hackers are now more omnipotent than before because they belong
to well organized groups which allows them to maximize their efficiency in
their work ( House of lords, 2007, p6). This cyber fear that is roaming our
societies has a negative influence on our social lives and issues where it
controls our movements and action on the web and worries everyone of
being robbed or hacked without punishing the criminal.
On the other hand, a digital technology is giving rise to new forms of
altruism via the Internet. This positive effect on our society is simply
amazing. Altruism is a term coined by Auguste Comte from the latin word
other , and is used to refer to caring for others ( Klisanin, 2011, p3 ).
Thanks to the internet, altruism is spreading more and more via community
and social networking sites that allow us to participate in everyday altruism,
and also through some social digital networks that contribute in solving
difficult and deep human dilemmas. Therefore, digital technology is also

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contributing in solving social issues which is definitely a positive feedback on

our societies and communities.