Information Technology, which is also called IT, has dramatically changed our way of living. Because of this, the world has truly become one. The advance in technology allows people to communicate easily with others who live on the other side of the planet. Thus, author Alvin Toffler has called this information age The Third Wave. The definition of revolution is an important change in a particular human activity and as a result, leads to changes in the way of living. This is why information technology is a revolution. IT is truly important in daily life nowadays and has become essential in every human activity. As information technology advances, the dependency on IT also rises. This has become serious as time has gone on, and recently workers can go to work without their wallets, but cannot go without their smartphones.

The reason behind the ever-growing
dependency on information technology
After the development of IT, it has been widely used and has also replaced many other previously widely used goods such as mail and newspapers. This is because IT allows people to have access to virtual space, according to Professor Park Do-Hyung from the Department of Management Information Systems at the Kookmin University. He also emphasized that IT goods such as smartphones are powerful tools because they can help people reach and use that virtual space anywhere. The improvements in the mobility of smartphones lead people to use paper much less. For example, when you log into your e-mail account on Google’s website, you are able to write an e-mail and check whether you have any incoming e-mail or not. In addition to this, in the past, you had to make notes on a piece of paper because it was difficult to remember everything all the time. It was recommended to have at least one diary if you were a businessman, so that you could always keep all your schedules up to date. However, because of the virtual space, people do not have to carry paper notes personally with them all the time, as they are able to access virtual space, using their smartphones. Thus, people can keep their personal records online and they can do their work much more effectively and efficiently with the help of information technology. As a result, a growing dependency on IT has become a real problem these days.

Smart users necessary for the upcoming
smart world
It is inevitable future that the smart world will become real. As time goes on, the dependency on IT and other problems that are related to IT will arise, and they will be even more severe. However, technology always advances much faster than any regulations that aim to minimize its side effects, according to Professor Park Do-Hyung. Thus, users should be much smarter. It is good to use and rule high-tech goods and services, but it will not be good when people are ruled by the technology. In order to prepare for the smart world, the government can suggest some possible solutions for probable problems, but there is no guarantee that those government regulations can solve all problems that may arise in the future. The development of new technology always comes first and then troubles come later which need solutions. Introducing new regulations in advance can be old fashioned and it is not effective and efficient at all. In addition to this, “both the dependency on IT and the concentration on IT are on the rise and a few corporations in the high-tech industry own all the information such as Google, Facebook and NAVER,” said Professor Park. This is a scary issue because there is no guarantee that these firms will not use this massive information only for their own benefit. It is too early to consider the possibility of Big Brother, but it is definitely one that everyone should at least keep in mind. Therefore, it is recommended for each user to become much smarter for the upcoming smart world.

The future is so unpredictable and it is unavoidable to have highly advanced technology for better and more comfortable living conditions. When living conditions are comfortable, people tend to sit back and relax without having any alertness. But it is necessary for users to be very intelligent and progressive in order for them to achieve the best outcomes.

- The Kookmin Review

Kookmin Review Seung-Ho Han (Reporter)