ICT: USE, VIEWS AND IMPACT

The end of the twentieth century is marked by change, of revolutionary scope and scale, characterized by a series of transformations, such as technological convergence and world-wide media coverage, not to mention the globalization of their content. These in turn are leading the way to a true revolution, based on information and knowledge. This change is of immense significance, for they imply a break with the past, heralding a new era of economic, social and cultural development fundamentally different from anything that has gone before. Information now plays an increasingly important part in economic, social, cultural and political life. This phenomenon is taking place regardless of a country's size, state of development, or political philosophy. The origin of these far reaching changes is to be found in the diffusion of information, through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and its progress is speeded up by the digital revolution and the convergence of the computer, telecommunication and audio visual industries.