Because I am [British], it is a lot easier to get [information] for Britain, and I do not have enough knowledge, and first hand experience to write this for America as well, I will be concentrating on Britain more than elsewhere.

The [information revolution] would not need the [overthrow]ing of a [government] (even if it would need government changes). The main changes during this revolution would come in the [home], [industry] and the very way we [regard] [technology] and the way in which we use this technology to gain [information], where the technology alters the [lifestyle] and methods used in everyday life. I feel that, because our views, and lifestyles have changed in such a [significant] [fashion], we are in the [midst] of the information revolution.

The [power] of the home computer is also increasing at a high rate, in accordance with [Moore's Law].

The modern "average" family would be at a loss without their [TV], [video] and [stereo]. Gradually our [lifestyle] becomes more and more [reliant] on [gadgets] and [small miracles] of the modern age - [gadgets] that we all take [totally] for [granted]. The easiest example of this is the [chaos] a [house] is [the madness that this country has been plunged into |plunged] into during a [power cut] as [everything] [dies], the family try to find a light source that doesn't need to be plugged in - suddenly [candles] seem like a good idea. They also will almost always lose their heating as well since a gas central heating system uses an electric pump.

The Internet is a major culprit for the change in our outlook on life. In 1993 there were less than 500 [web site]s, in 1999 there were (at an estimate by an [MIT] researcher) 750, 000 to 1, 000, 000 "[dot com]" sites. Nowadays it is quite possible to stay in your house with no real reason to leave it. You can purchase almost anything on the Internet, from [food] and [clothes] to [cars]. You can do your [banking] and collect your [benefits] (such as the [Dole] - unemployment benefit) over the phone or the Internet. It is estimated that by the year 2003, 33% of Britain's [GDP] will be dependent on the Internet. This attitude towards life is causing a generation, which is becoming more socially [isolated] and far less active, the children can talk to people in [Asia] or [America] or play an online [computer game] with people around the world, and will often choose to do this over playing in the street. The [Western World]'s population is getting more obese and lazy because of this attitude - especially in America where the problem is worse, 35% of Americans are now classified as [stationary] meaning that they walk less than half a mile a week, which is just over 100m a day.

The [medical service] has improved also due to technology. [Diagnosis] is far easier due to the newest scanners and equipment designed to allow isolation of the illness. There are machines that can keep humans alive after they would otherwise be dead. Machines that can replace the [heart], and techniques that allows [injuries] and [diseases], that would have been fatal 20 years ago, to be treated successfully. We have developed expectations of the health care services, we feel that they can cure almost anything, and this blind faith can often cause nasty [shocks] when we are beyond medical help.

[Wireless communications] have also developed as fast as the Internet. Everyone seems to carry the [ubiquitous] [mobile phone], in 1991 roughly 2% of people in Britain had a mobile phone, in 1998 it was 16% and it is estimated to be around 25% - 30% now. This is mainly due to the improvements in the technology, as well as the heavy [subsidising] by the Network service providers like [BT Cellnet] (now called O2). Now with the advent of [G3] phones (using far greater [bandwidth], allowing far more data to be transmitted) and the most up to date WAP phones people can access information anywhere and at any time.

People used to use mobile phones for [emergencies], or maybe for business use, but now people plan their nights out with [text messages], and discuss what they are watching on TV at that moment. People can communicate with each other so easily that often we totally take this for granted - people get [panicky] when their phone's [battery] is about to run out, when two years ago, we had nothing that needed to be said so urgently.

Modern Corporations such as [GM] and [Shell], rely very much on their computing technology, if it fails they cannot function. They therefore have to spend far more money on the [backups] and emergency systems than they did on they original system. When the system is also responsible for human life (such as the modern emergency systems on an [oil rig]) the system cannot be allowed to fail. To do so would be to put human life in danger. This has happened in more than one example. In 1999 there were five cases of people being killed (not always directly) by [robots] or [automated systems].

This [reliance] on computer systems has penetrated every aspect of our life. Most people under 25 cannot do [long division], (they just use a [calculator]), can't spell properly (but we have [spell checker]s, why do we need to know how to spell!); they don't go outside because they can stay inside and have everything they need. They expect information on whatever topic they may decide to look for, immediately, and easily - and most of the time they can find it.

The modern technology we have makes our life far easier, almost too easy. We rely very heavily on our computers and other modern devices. Without them our society would not be able to function, as we know it, there would be chaos, and a breakdown of life, as we know it. We need to remember that there is a world out there, and if we don't, then one day it might not be there to enjoy as such.

Sources:
http://www.w3org/Conferences/WWW4/
http://www4.nas.edu/beyond/beyonddiscovery.nsf/web/laser?OpenDocument
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/genomics/
http://www.glreach.com/globstats/index.php3
http://www.eto.org.uk/eustats/penetr.htm#mobiles
http://www.ahrq.gov/data/hcup/hcupnet.htm

Information Revolution (idea)