The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT. Twenty years ago, few people had access to a computer while today most people use them at work, home or school and use of e-mail and the Internet is an every day event.
These developments have brought many benefits to our lives. E-mail makes communication much easier and more immediate. This has numerous benefits for business, commerce, and education. The World Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. Clearly, for many people this has made life much easier and more convenient.
However, not all the effects of the new technology have been beneficial. Many people feel that the widespread use of e-mail is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. In addition, the huge size of the Web means it is almost impossible to control and regulate. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites. In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe developments relating to new technology in the future are likely to produce many negative effects that will need to be addressed very carefully.