Civilization in the process of its development has gone through several stages, at each of which the level of life of both individuals and communities depended on their awareness and ability to process data efficiently. The stages of creating new means and methods of data processing, which led to significant changes in society, that is, which changed the mode of production, lifestyle, value system, are called information revolutions.

Information revolutions have caused a phased transition from an agrarian society to an information society, where intelligence and knowledge are the means and products of production.

Why is society called an information society?

The information society is a new historical phase in the development of civilization, in which the main products of production are data and knowledge.

The name "information society" first appeared in Japan. The experts who proposed this term explained that it defines a society in which high quality circulates in abundance, as well as all the necessary means for its storage, distribution and use. Information is easily and quickly distributed according to the requirements of interested people and organizations and is given to them in the form they are used to. The cost of using information services is so low that they are available to everyone

The term "information" ("computerized") society is understood as one in which all spheres of life of members include computers and services that meet the information needs of the user, as well as other informatics tools as tools of intellectual labor.

The information society is also called the knowledge society or the global competence society, since the main requirements of the 21st century society for the training of competitive specialists include:

ability for critical thinking;
universal, systemic knowledge;
key competencies in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT);
ability to make decisions;
ability to manage dynamic processes;
ability to work in a team (team)
effective communication skills.

These skills were formulated by twenty of the world's leading companies that are engaged in forecasting the development of the economy for the future and the development of appropriate tools and technologies for the effective implementation of various processes: economic, social, educational - and were called skills of the XXI century.

In the information society, the acquisition of key basic knowledge and skills, which include, in particular, knowledge of the possibilities of using modern computer systems and the ability to apply them in practice, is the key to the success and creative realization of each person. This is what caused the emergence of a new category of culture - information.

Information culture is the ability to purposefully work with data and use information and communication technologies, modern technical means and methods for obtaining, processing and transmitting them.

Information culture manifests itself in a person:

in specific skills in the use of various technical devices - from a telephone to a personal computer and network devices;
in the ability to use information and communication technologies in their activities;
in the ability to obtain data from various sources - from periodic printed sources in electronic communications;
the ability to present information in an understandable way and use it effectively;
in knowledge of analytical methods of data processing;
in the ability to work with messages of various types.

Information culture includes much more than a simple set of technical data processing skills using computers and telecommunications. Information culture should become part of the universal culture. A cultured (in the broad sense) person should be able to evaluate the information received qualitatively, understand their usefulness, reliability, and the like.

An essential information culture is the ability to make a collective decision. The ability to interact effectively with other people is an important sign of a person of the information society.

For the effective use of information and communication technologies in professional activities, each person must have information competence, which implies the ability of a person to navigate in the information space, operate with data based on the use of modern information and communication technologies in accordance with the needs of the labor market for the effective performance of professional duties. For students, information competence can mean the formed ability to effectively use information and communication technologies for learning.

What does informatics do as a science and as a branch of human activity?

Computer science, as a relatively young science, arose in the middle of the 20th century. The prerequisite for this was a sharp increase in the volume of information data and messages that a person had to process. A computer appears, and then powerful - technical means that allow you to store, process and transmit large amounts of data.

The main goal of informatics as a science is to search for new knowledge in various fields of human activity with the help of computer technology.

Informatics is a science that studies the structure and general properties of data, as well as methods and means of their creation, search, storage, processing, transmission and use in various fields of human activity.

The term informatics originated in the early 1960s. in France (from French information - information and automatique - automation) to refer to the automated processing of various data. In English-speaking countries, this term is synonymous with Computer Science (computer science), since the term informatics means not only a reflection of the achievements of computer technology, but is also associated with the processes of transmitting and processing data of various nature.

The main directions of development of informatics are: theoretical, technical and applied informatics. Theoretical informatics is designed to develop general theories of searching, processing and storing data, identifying the patterns of data creation and transformation, the use of modern information technologies in various fields of human activity, the study of the relationship "man - an electronic device", the development of information technologies. Technical informatics considers automated data processing systems, the creation of a new generation of computer technology, flexible technological systems, robots, artificial intelligence, etc. Applied informatics creates knowledge bases, develops rational methods for automating production, creates the theoretical foundations of design, serves to connect science with production and provides demands of the information society.

What technologies are called information technologies?

In order to efficiently process various data of the modern information-rich environment, which is changing extremely rapidly, and to make timely and correct decisions based on the results obtained, new knowledge and skills are required, or rather, the mastery of technology.

The term "technology" comes from the Greek. τεχνη - art, skill, technique, skills and λογος - word, ability to convey.

Technology is a set of methods and means for people to implement a specific complex process by dividing it into a system of sequential interrelated procedures and operations that are performed more or less unambiguously and that aim to achieve high efficiency of a certain type of activity.

The general level of development and the totality of created and used technologies is an important component of the culture of society, significantly affects the sustainability of the development of the economy, and therefore is one of the characteristic features of civilization.

Information technology (IT) is a set of methods and techniques used to collect, store, process, distribute, display and use various data for the interests and needs of users.

Information technology reflects the modern understanding of data transformation processes in the information society. It is a set of clear, purposeful actions for processing data using a computer.

In the modern information society, computers of various types are the main technical means of processing various data. Programs are used to implement data processing methods. The combination of information and modern communication technologies that ensure the transmission of messages and data by various means (computer networks, telephone, fax, television, satellite communications, etc.) has radically changed the level and forms of business and social activity of people.

Information technology in its development has gone through certain stages:

Stages of technology development	Technology name	Tools and communications	primary goal
1st stage (Second half of the 19th century)	hand information technology	Pen, inkwell, account book. Communication is done manually postal item letters, packages, messages	Representing messages in the desired form
2nd stage (from the end of the 19th century to the 30s of the 20th century)	mechanical technology	Typewriter, telephone, voice recorder, mail. More modern means of delivery are used	Presenting messages in the right form in a more convenient way
3rd stage (40-60s of the XX century)	electrical technology	Mainframe computers and related software, electric typewriters, copiers, portable tape recorders	From the form of notification, the emphasis is gradually shifting to the formation of its content.
Stage 4 (from the beginning of the 70s to the middle of the 80s of the XX century)	Electronic technology	Large computers and automated control systems and information retrieval systems created on their basis with basic and specialized software	The emphasis is shifting to the formation of the content side of the message for the management environment of various sectors of public life, especially to the organization of analytical work.
Stage 5 (since the mid-1980s)	computer technology	Personal computer with a large number of standard software products for various purposes	Creation of decision support systems at different levels of management. The systems have built-in elements of analysis and artificial intelligence and are implemented on personal computer and use network technologies and telecommunications to work in the network
6th stage (since the mid-1990s)	Latest Internet/Intranet technologies	In various fields of science, technology and business, systems are widely used in which different users (systems), global, regional and local computer networks have access at the same time.	E-commerce is developing. The increase in information volumes led to the creation of data mining technology
7th stage (modern)	Cloud technologies, Internet of things	Remote processing and storage of data on servers and use of software as an online service	Complex calculations and data processing are carried out on a remote server. The formation of a network consisting of interconnected physical objects (things) or devices that have built-in sensors, as well as software, which allows the transfer and exchange of data between the physical world and computer systems, has led to the creation of "Smart City" or "Smart Home" technologies. »

Various classifications of information technology.

According to the methods and means of data processing, the following classification of information technologies is distinguished.

Global - technologies that include models, methods, ways of using data in society.
Basic - information technologies focused on a specific area of application.
Specific - technologies that process data in the process of performing real user tasks.

According to the subject areas served, they are distinguished: technologies with a scope in accounting, banking and tax activities, for providing insurance, e-government, statistics, e-commerce, education, medicine.

According to data types, technologies for processing are distinguished:

data using algorithmic languages, spreadsheet processors, database management systems;
texts using a word processor;
graphic images using graphic editors;
knowledge with the help of expert systems;
objects of the real world with the help of multimedia technologies and the like.

There are other classifications of information technology.

Some interesting facts about the modern information society:

The volume of knowledge generated by the world community doubles every 72 hours;
Every minute e-mail 204000000 messages are sent;
The volume of data transmitted by artificial satellites for two weeks is sufficient to fill 19 million volumes;
In industrialized countries, students receive more information at the time they leave school than their grandparents do in their lifetime;
In the next three decades, as many changes will occur in society as there have been over the past three centuries.

Intellectual Property and Copyright

Intellectual property is the results of intellectual activity and means of individualization protected by law.

Consider the main characteristics of intellectual property.

Intellectual property is intangible. This is its main and most important difference from ownership of things (property in the classical sense). If you have a thing, you can use it yourself or transfer it to another person for use. However, it is impossible for two people to use the same thing at the same time independently of each other. If you own intellectual property, you can use it yourself and at the same time grant rights to it to another person. Moreover, there can be millions of these persons, and all of them can independently use one object of intellectual property.
Intellectual property is absolute. This means that one person - the owner of the rights - is opposed by all other persons who, without the consent of the copyright owner, do not have the right to use the object of intellectual property. Moreover, the absence of a ban on using the object is not considered permission.
Intangible objects of intellectual property are embodied in material objects. When you buy a disc with music, you become the owner of the thing, but not the copyright holder of the musical works that are recorded on it. Therefore, you have the right to do whatever you want with the disc, but not with the music. It is unlawful, for example, to change a piece of music, arrange or process it in any other way without the consent of the author. Copyright regulates relations arising in connection with the creation and use of works of science, literature and art. Copyright is based on the concept of "work", which means the original result of creative activity, exists in some objective form. It is this objective form of expression that is the subject of copyright protection. Copyright does not cover ideas, methods, processes, systems, methods, concepts, principles, discoveries, facts.

The software is an object of intellectual property, all rights to which belong to the person who created it, or the developer company. This right is protected by the Copyright and Related Rights Act. According to this law, when selling software, the developer does not transfer his rights to a certain program to the end user, but only allows him to use (licens) this program. The packaging of a software product often displays a special mark indicating the existence of a license agreement that defines the basic rights and obligations of the manufacturer and buyer of the resulting software product. The text of the license agreement is displayed during the installation of the software on the computer.

Unfortunately, not all software products distributed on the market are legal. From a legal point of view to piracy software includes all computer programs that are distributed, installed on computers and used in violation of the terms of their license agreement. For example, self-created copies of a licensed program are no longer legal, and such actions are a violation of copyright and provide for legal liability.

Ethics in the Information Society

Information ethics is concerned with the moral issues that arise in connection with the development and application of information technology. Information ethics is an integral part of computer ethics.

Computer ethics is concerned with the consideration of technical, moral, legal, social, political and philosophical issues. The problems considered in it can be divided into several groups.

Problems of developing moral codes for computer professionals and ordinary users whose work is related to the use of computer technology.
Problems of protecting property rights, copyrights, the right to privacy and freedom of speech in relation to the field of information technology.
A group of crimes that arise with the advent of computer technology, the definition of their status, that is, mainly legal problems.

These problems are only part of computer ethics.

The main provisions of the code of computer ethics:

Do not use the computer to harm other people.
Do not interfere with or interfere with the work of computer network users.
Do not use files that are not intended for free use.
Do not use the computer for theft.
Do not use the computer to spread false information.
Do not use "pirated" software.
Do not appropriate someone else's intellectual property.
Do not use computer equipment or network resources without the owner's permission or appropriate compensation.
Think about the possible consequences for society from the programs being created and the information systems being developed.

1. Information society: concepts, definitions, concepts

Information society.1

The role of the state in the formation of the information society. 9

The concept of the development of the information society of the European Community. 12

Self-test questions:19

On the other hand, the penetration of information technology into the privacy of people can threaten the privacy of citizens. The price for convenience, speed of transmission and receipt of information, various information services - a person must constantly report personal data about himself to information systems - loss of anonymity.

Due to the particular sensitivity to the collection of personal information, the documents of the European Community (Building the European Information Society for Us All. First Reflections of the High Level Group of Experts. Interim Report, January 1996) offer the following recommendations:

collection and storage of identifiable information should be kept to a minimum;

The decision to open or close information must be left to the people themselves;

When designing information systems, it is necessary to take into account the need to protect personal information;

Citizens should have access to the latest technologies to protect personal secrets;

· The protection of personal information and private life should become the central point of a policy that ensures the right to anonymity of citizens in information systems.

Intensive introduction of information technologies in state bodies makes it possible to:

· bring them closer to citizens, improve and expand services to the population;

improve internal efficiency and reduce public sector costs;

· stimulate the creation of new information equipment, products and services by the private sector through adequate public policy.

The following principles should apply regarding access to public information:

information should be open to all;

basic information should be free. A reasonable price should be charged if additional processing is required, bearing in mind the cost of preparing and transmitting the information, plus a small margin;

· Continuity: information must be provided continuously, and must be of uniform quality.

As a rule, the reason for failures in the implementation of projects for the introduction of information technologies both at the level of enterprises and the state is the inability to combine technological innovations with organizational ones.

1.2. The role of the state in shaping the information society

The rapid development of ITT, the convergence of computer systems, various types of communications, the entertainment industry, and the production of consumer electronics lead to the need to reconsider ideas about the information industry, its role and place in society. Many countries are now adopting new laws, restructuring the activities of state bodies responsible for the formation and implementation of information and telecommunications policy.

State information policy- regulatory activities of state bodies aimed at developing the information sphere of society, which covers not only telecommunications, information systems or the media, but the entire set of industries and relations associated with the creation, storage, processing, demonstration, transmission of information in all its forms - business, entertainment, scientific and educational, news, etc.

Such a broad interpretation of information policy seems justified today, since the digitalization of information and the latest telecommunications and computer technologies are intensively blurring the barriers between various sectors of the information industry.

A comprehensive consideration of the processes taking place in the information sphere of society, modern methods of its state regulation is very important for Russia, since the state has not fully decided in this area. The existing attempts to write the concepts of the information space only partially solve the problem, since the space itself is no longer formed so much by the state, but by the market and new commercial structures. The history of the Russian computer market confirms this. An analysis of foreign practice of regulating the information sphere of society allows us to identify a number of areas, which include:

· promotion of competition, fight against monopoly (control over the concentration of ownership in the media, issuance of permits for mergers of companies, decisions on the disintegration of large monopoly companies);

· Ensuring the right and technical opportunities for access to information and information resources for the entire population;

Respect for freedom of speech;

protection of the interests of national minorities, the younger generation in the information sphere;

· protection of the national cultural heritage, language, opposition to the cultural expansion of other countries;

ensuring information security;

protection of intellectual property, fight against piracy;

fight against computer and high-tech crimes;

· control over the use of information and telecommunication technologies in public institutions;

· censorship in global computer networks.

Among the most significant trends in the foreign information industry in recent years are the revision of the previously established rules for its regulation: deregulation of the telecommunications market, which allows cable, telephone, cellular, satellite and other companies to compete in each other's markets; weakening control over the concentration of ownership in various media. As a result, both vertical and horizontal integration of information markets and means of its transmission occurs.

The development of the information industry and new information relations in Russia is largely stimulated by global processes in this area - the deregulation of the telecommunications market, the privatization of state-owned telecom operators, the creation of new information conglomerates, including both means of information delivery (cable and telephone networks, satellites, computer systems etc.), as well as content producers - television and film studios, publishing houses, news agencies.

At the moment, there is a wave of mergers of the largest information companies world into large associations that will control the market for the creation and distribution of mass media in the next century. These transformations are the response of leading information companies to the opportunities created by new technologies and changes in the regulation of the information industry. Since this process is extremely dynamic, Russia has only a year or two to take its rightful place in the system of international information relations.

The preservation of competition, the fight against the monopolism of individual manufacturers or firms providing services is the cornerstone of state regulation. In the field of telecommunications, mergers of various companies at the national and interstate levels occur without fail with the permission of the relevant authorities, in the USA it is the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice, which determine whether the merger of two or more companies will lead to the emergence of a monopoly that will eliminate competition and, as a result, with over time will reduce the quality and variety of services provided to the business world and the population, will lead to higher prices. All major American companies such as AT&T, Microsoft, IBM, television companies, which are now looking for partners in their own and foreign markets, are under close scrutiny of these bodies.

There are extensive gaps in Russian information legislation - laws on the right to information, on the protection of personal data, and on television have not been adopted. Laws on the protection of copyright and related rights, on the mass media, and on participation in international information exchange require additions. However, new ones are added to the old unresolved problems. On the agenda is the regulation of the already begun process of concentration of ownership of domestic media, the merger of newspapers, their merger with TV channels, news agencies, financial groups. There are no documents regulating the procedure for the formation and maintenance of departmental information resources, access to them for citizens. Rules for the acquisition and operation of information and telecommunications technologies in public institutions have not been established, which leads to uncontrolled and irresponsible spending of significant amounts, computer and information systems do not make the expected contribution to improving the efficiency of government agencies. It is necessary to develop your “own” Internet based on Russian information. The development of normative documents regulating the sale of information resources created by state bodies is very relevant. Resources that are not subject to denationalization, such as statistical information, should be clearly listed. Finally, it is necessary to decide what is the place and role of Russia in international programs such as the Global Information Infrastructure.

1.3. The concept of the development of the information society of the European Community

Since 1994, the European Community has set the task of building the information society among the top priorities. Significant progress has been made in the implementation of the Action Plan (Europe and the global information society, 1994), which defined the strategy for moving Europe towards the information society:

· the liberalization of the telecommunications sector has been successfully launched;

· Efforts have been made to ensure the social orientation of the information society, to support regional initiatives to achieve coordinated development;

· formulated a plan of action in the field of education;

· support provided to the European content industry, which is expected to create an additional 1 million jobs over the next 10 years;

· scientific research programs have been successfully implemented;

· The European Commission has become an important tool for developing common rules that are necessary for the transition to a global information society.

Taking into account what has already been achieved, new tasks are set for the European countries:

1. Improve the business environment through effective and coordinated liberalization of telecommunications, create the necessary conditions for the introduction of electronic commerce.

2. A transition to lifelong learning is needed. The Learning in the Information Society initiative is working in this direction.

3. The significant implications of the information society for the individual have prompted a discussion aimed at placing people at the center of the ongoing transformations. As a result of the discussion, the Green Paper "Life and Work in the Information Society: People First" (Green Paper, 1996) was released. It is about creating new jobs, protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, primarily the inviolability of personal life.

4. Today, the importance of global cooperation and the establishment of rules for creating an information society is clear. They affect intellectual property rights, data protection and privacy, dissemination of harmful and illegal content, taxation issues, information security, use of frequencies, standards. Multilateral agreements within the European Union are needed to establish common rules in these areas.

The European Commission established a Forum in February 1995 to discuss common problems formation of the information society. Its 128 members represent users of new technologies, various social groups, content and service providers, network operators, government and international institutions. The aim of the Forum is to trace the process of formation of the information society in six areas:

• impact on the economy and employment;

· the main social and democratic values in the "virtual community";

Impact on public, state services;

education, retraining, training in the information society;

· the cultural dimension and the future of the media;

· sustainable development, technology and infrastructure.

Thus, at present, the prerequisites and real ways of the formation and development of the information society in Russia are realized. This process has a global character, the entry of our country into the world information community is inevitable. The use of the material and spiritual benefits of the information civilization can provide the population of Russia with a decent life, economic prosperity and the necessary conditions for the free development of the individual. Russia must join the family of technologically and economically developed countries as a full-fledged participant in the world civilizational development while maintaining political independence, national identity and cultural traditions, with a developed civil society and a state governed by the rule of law. It can be expected that the main features and signs of the information society will be formed in Russia under stable socio-political conditions and deep economic transformations in the first quarter of the 21st century.

The characteristic features and characteristics of the information society include:

· the formation of a single information and communication space of Russia as part of the global information space, the full participation of Russia in the processes of information and economic integration of regions, countries and peoples;

· the formation and subsequent dominance in the economy of new technological modes based on the massive use of advanced information technologies, computer technology and telecommunications;

Creation and development of the information and knowledge market as factors of production in addition to the markets of natural resources, labor and capital, the transition of society's information resources into real resources of socio-economic development, the actual satisfaction of society's needs for information products and services;

· increasing role of information and communication infrastructure in the system of social production;

· raising the level of education, scientific, technical and cultural development by expanding the capabilities of information exchange systems at the international, national and regional levels and, accordingly, increasing the role of qualifications, professionalism and creativity as the most important characteristics of labor services;

· Creation of an effective system for ensuring the rights of citizens and social institutions to freely receive, disseminate and use information as an essential condition for democratic development.

The need for a transition to an information society is closely related to the changing nature of the impact of scientific and technological progress on people's lives. At the end of the 20th century, the rate of change in technological structures in production, technologies for the provision of products and services and the management of these processes increased significantly. If at the beginning and even in the middle of the century such changes occurred in periods of time that significantly exceeded the life span of one or two generations, today the change in the technological order occurs in a shorter period. At the same time, the way of life of the majority of the population, the socio-psychological model of the behavior of people and society as a whole, is radically changing. Behavior patterns of the current and future generations begin to differ especially significantly - the well-known problem of "fathers and children". Obviously, one of the factors that can, to a certain extent, weaken the impact on the human psyche of such changes in lifestyle is the level of information preparedness of a person for future changes. One of the most important indicators of lifestyle changes in the second half of our century is the development and use of new information and communication technologies in all areas of social life and activity, the level of production and consumption of information products and services by society. There is an obvious change in attitudes towards information and the expansion of opportunities for obtaining and applying information to strengthen human potential and its development in many directions.

All of the above determines the emergence and the need to solve a complex socially significant task - the creation of a socio-psychological model of the behavior of a member of the information society, the identification of “points” and methods of influence that will ensure normal adaptation and comfortable existence of a person in the conditions of the information society, reduce contradictions between generations.

It seems that the most effective way of such an impact is the education system, which should accustom the child, adolescent and adult to the need for constant changes in lifestyle, to the perception, following and preserving the national traditions and cultural heritage of their country.

Conclusions:

INFORMATION SOCIETY is one of the theoretical models used to describe a qualitatively new stage of social development, which the developed countries entered with the beginning of the information and computer revolution. The technological basis of society is not industrial, but information and telecommunication technologies.

The information society is a society in which:

1. Information becomes the main economic resource, and the information sector comes out on top in terms of development rates, in terms of the number of employees, in terms of the share of capital investment, in terms of the share in GDP. ICT are becoming the main means of increasing production efficiency, strengthening competitiveness both in the domestic and global markets.

2. There is a developed infrastructure that ensures the creation of sufficient information resources. This is primarily the education system and science. There is a redistribution of resources in favor of science and education. In the United States, the so-called accumulated human capital is three times the assets of all American corporations. Intellectual property becomes the main form of ownership. In the competitive struggle for the world championship, a new factor appears - the level of development of the information infrastructure and industry.

3. Information becomes a subject of mass consumption. The information society provides any individual with access to any source of information. This is guaranteed by law (military and state secrets are also determined by law) and technical capabilities. There are new criteria for assessing the level of development of society - the number of computers, the number of Internet connections, the number of mobile and fixed phones, etc. The legal foundations of the information society are being developed.

4. A single integrated information system is being formed on the basis of technological convergence (merger of telecommunications, computer-electronic, audio-visual technology). Unified national information systems are being created (in the USA - in the 1980s, in Western Europe - in the 1990s).

5. The information society is being formed as a global one. It includes:

the global "information economy";

a single global information space;

· global information infrastructure;

· the emerging global legal system.

In the information society, business activity flows into the information and communication environment. A virtual economy, a virtual financial system, etc. are being formed, which raises the most difficult questions about the mechanisms of their regulation and connection with the real, “physical” economy

Questions for self-examination:

1. What is the "information society"

2. What is the global staging of the historical development of mankind

3. What are the main provisions of the concept of the information society

5. Five stages of the process of formation of the information society (according to A.I. Rakitov)

6. Distinctive features information society

7. Criteria for the transition of society to the post-industrial and information stages of its development (according to I.V. Sokolova)

8. Additional criteria for the transition of society to the information stage of development. A society is considered informational if: ... (according to A.I. Rakitov)

9. Dangers of information technology development

10. The benefits that information technology gives to society

11. Principles for developing access to public information

12. What is the "State information policy"

14. What is the strategy for moving Europe towards the information society

15. Characteristic features and signs of the information society

16. What is the global nature of the information society

Literature:

Democracy through referendum. Referendum (from lat. referendum- what should be reported) or plebiscite - in state law, the adoption by the electoral corps of a decision on constitutional, legislative or other domestic and foreign policy issues.

Less than a century ago, a person received about 15 thousand messages a week. Now we receive about ten thousand messages every hour. And among all this information flow it is very difficult to find the necessary message, but do nothing - this is just one of the negative characteristics of the modern information society.

Characteristics

So what is the information society? This is a society in which the bulk of the workers are engaged in the production, storage or processing of information. At this stage of development, the information society has a number of distinctive characteristics:

Information, knowledge and technology are of great importance in the life of society.
Every year the number of people employed in the production of information products, communications or information technologies is increasing.
The informatization of society is growing, while telephones, television, the Internet, and the media are used.
A global information space is being created that ensures effective interaction between individuals. People get access to world information resources. Within the created information space, each of its participants satisfies their needs for information products or services.
E-democracy, information state and government are developing rapidly, digital markets of social and business networks are emerging.

Terminology

The first to define what an information society is were scientists from Japan. In the Land of the Rising Sun, this term began to be used in the 60s of the last century. Almost simultaneously with them, scientists from the United States began to use the term "information society". A great contribution to the development of this theory was made by such authors as M. Porat, I. Masuda, R. Karts and others. This theory received support from those researchers who studied the formation of a technogenic or technological society, as well as from those who studied changes in society, which is influenced by the increased role of knowledge.

Already at the end of the 20th century, the term "information society" firmly took its place in the lexicon of infosphere specialists, politicians, scientists, economists and teachers. Most often, it was associated with the development of information technology and other means that would help humanity make a new leap in evolutionary development.

Today there are two opinions regarding what the information society is:

This is a society where the production and consumption of information is considered the main activity, and information is the most significant resource.
This is a society that has replaced the post-industrial one, the main product here is information and knowledge, the information economy is actively developing.

It is also believed that the concept of the information society is nothing more than a version of the theory of the post-industrial society. Therefore, it can be viewed as a sociological and futurological concept, where the main factor in social development is the production and use of scientific and technical information.

come to a consensus

Given how much information technology has seeped into everyday life, these effects are often referred to as the information or computer revolution. In the teachings of the West, more and more attention is paid to this phenomenon, as evidenced by the vast number of relevant publications. However, it is worth noting that the concept of "information society" is put in the place where in the 70s there was a theory of post-industrial society.

Some scientists believe that the post-industrial and information society are completely different stages of development, so a clear line should be drawn between them. Despite the fact that the concept of the information society was intended to replace the theory of the post-industrial society, its supporters are still developing important provisions of technocracy and futurology.

D. Bell, who formulated the theory of the post-industrial society, considers the concept of the information society a new stage in the development of the post-industrial society. Simply put, the scientist insists that the information society is the second level of post-industrial development, so you should not mix or replace these concepts.

James Martin. Information society criteria

The writer believes that the information society must meet several criteria:

Technological. Information technologies are used in various spheres of human activity.
Social. Information is an important stimulant for changing the quality of life. There is such a thing as "information consciousness", since knowledge is widely available.
Economic. Information becomes the main resource in economic relations.
Political. Freedom of information leading to the political process.
Cultural. Information is considered cultural value.

The development of the information society brings with it a number of changes. Thus, there are structural changes in the economy, especially when it comes to the distribution of labor. People are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of information and technology. Many are beginning to realize that for a full-fledged existence it is necessary to eliminate their own computer illiteracy, since information technologies are present in almost all spheres of life. The government strongly supports the development of information and technology, but along with them develop malware and computer viruses.

Martin believes that in the information society, the quality of life directly depends on information and how a person will exploit it. In such a society, all spheres of human life are influenced by achievements in the segment of knowledge and information.

good and bad

Scientists believe that development in society makes it possible to manage large complexes of organizations, the production of systems and coordinate the work of thousands of people. New scientific directions related to the problems of organizational sets continue to develop.

And yet the process of informatization of society has its drawbacks. Society is losing its stability. Small groups of people can have a direct impact on the information society agenda. For example, hackers can break into banking systems and transfer large amounts of money to their accounts. Or the media can cover the problems of terrorism, which have a destructive effect on the formation of public consciousness.

Information revolutions

Spread of the language.
The emergence of writing.
Mass printing of books.
Applications of various kinds of electrical communication.
Use of computer technologies.

A. Rakitov emphasizes that the role of the information society in the near future will be to influence civilizational and cultural processes. Knowledge will be the most significant stake in the global competition for power.

Peculiarities

Individuals can use the information resources of society from anywhere in the country. That is, from anywhere they can access the information they need for life.
Information technology is available to everyone.
In society, there are infrastructures that ensure the creation of the necessary information resources.
In all industries, there is a process of accelerating and automating work.
Social structures are changing, and as a result, the spheres of information activities and services are expanding.

The information society differs from the industrial society by the rapid growth of new jobs. The segment of economic development is dominated by the information industry.

Two questions

The dynamism of technological modernization poses two main questions for society:

Are people adapting to change?
Can new technologies give rise to the differentiation of society?

During the transition of society to the information society, people may face a significant problem. They will be divided into those who can use new knowledge and technologies, and those who do not have such skills. As a result, information technologies will remain in the hands of a small social group, which will lead to the inevitable stratification of society and the struggle for power.

But despite this danger, new technologies can empower citizens by giving them instant access to the information they need. They will give the opportunity to create, and not just consume new knowledge and allow you to maintain the anonymity of personal messages. Although, on the other hand, the penetration of information technology into private life carries a threat to the inviolability of personal data. No matter how you look at the information society, the main trends in its development will always cause both a sea of delight and a storm of indignation. Just like in any other field.

Information society: development strategy

When it was recognized that society had entered a new stage of development, appropriate steps were required. The authorities of many countries have begun to develop a plan for the development of the information society. For example, in Russia, researchers distinguish several stages of development:

First, the foundations were formed in the field of informatization (1991-1994).
Later there was a change of priorities from informatization to the creation of information policy (1994-1998)
The third stage is the formation of a policy in the field of creating an information society (the year 2002 - our time).

The state is also interested in the development of this process. In 2008, the government of the Russian Federation adopted a strategy for the development of the information society, which is valid until 2020. The government has set itself the following goals:

Creation of information and telecommunications infrastructure in order to provide high-quality information access services on its basis.
To improve the quality of education, medical care and social protection based on the development of technologies.
Improving the system of state guarantees of human rights in the information sphere.
Using information and improve the economy.
Raise the efficiency of public administration.
Develop science, technology and technology to train qualified personnel in the field of information technology.
Preserve culture, strengthen moral and patriotic principles in the public mind, develop a system of cultural and humanitarian education.
Oppose the use of information technology achievements as a threat to the national interests of the country.

To solve such problems, the state apparatus develops special measures for the development of a new society. Determine the performance benchmarks improve the policy in the field of information technology use. They create favorable conditions for the development of science, technology and equal access of citizens to information.

conclusions

So what is the information society? This is a theoretical model that is used to describe a new stage of social development that began with the beginning of the information and computer revolution. The technological basis in this society is not industrial, but information and telecommunication technologies.

This is a society where information is the main economic resource, and in terms of the pace of development, this sector comes out on top in terms of the number of employees, the share of GDP and capital investment. There is a developed infrastructure that ensures the creation of information resources. It primarily includes education and science. In such a society, intellectual property is the main form of ownership.

Information is becoming a commodity of mass consumption. Everyone living in society has access to any kind of information, this is guaranteed not only by law, but also by technical capabilities. In addition, there are new criteria for assessing the level of development of society. For example, an important criterion is the number of computers, Internet connections, mobile and home phones. With the help of the merging of telecommunications, computer-electronic and audiovisual technology, a single integrated information system is being created in society.

Today, the information society can be regarded as a kind of global phenomenon, which includes: the global information economy, space, infrastructure and legal system. Here, business activity becomes an information and communication environment, the virtual economy and the financial system are spreading more and more. The information society gives many opportunities, but it did not come out of nowhere - it is the result of centuries of activity of all mankind.

The information (post-industrial) era began around the middle of the 20th century with the emergence of centers of post-industrialism in industrialized countries. They quickly turned into regions of post-industrialism. The post-industrial society is becoming the world's leading one. There are international organizations of the post-industrial type, and the UN becomes an organ of the post-industrial era. The basic systems of the information society are also changing.

Technological basis this society is made up of information technology, automation of production processes based on computers and cybernetics, globalization of information and technological relations. The basis of informatism is formed by mental work, spiritual capital and knowledge (theoretical and applied), information technology, computer technology.

Demosocial system The information society is characterized by: the emergence of a mass of migrants and national diasporas, the growth of megacities, a mass consumer society, mass culture, environmental pollution, a significant middle class, a population explosion that confirms the fears of Malthus.

economic system characterize: automation and computerization of production processes; growth in the number and power of transnational companies (TNCs); private, collective and state property; domination services(medicine, education, leisure, etc.); production, exchange and consumption of knowledge (information); the transformation of science into the direct productive force of society, and the transformation of technical specialists (experts, consultants) into a leading professional group; dominance of finance capital.

Politic system information societies are characterized by: a strong democratic legal social state; developed civil society (parliamentary democracy, free media, etc.); taking into account the interests of different social classes; the political culture of the middle class; growing influence of international political organizations.

For spiritual system industrial society is characterized by: the transformation of science into the leading form of social consciousness; the flourishing of the system of general, secondary and higher education; weakening the influence of world religions; the development of art and the emergence of its new directions; postmodern thinking; growing influence of mass culture; the dominance of television, etc.

Public subjectivity characterized by the strengthening of the role of the spiritual and the weakening of the unconscious, the growth of the value-rational, the spread of solidarity principles, the co-evolution of liberal, social democratic, conservative, communist and religious ideologies.

In the information age, countries coexist with different types societies (formations and civilizations): liberal-capitalist, Soviet, social-democratic, etc. Between world religions, religious communities associated with them and world civilizations and within them there is a struggle for domination and the creation of a new world society, formations and civilizations of earthlings . All this is accompanied by a deepening ecological crisis.

The urban population becomes predominant. Man is ousted from material production; it is replaced by machines. Scientific and technological progress is accelerating, the structure of employment of the population is changing. The staff of information enterprises requires a new management style: creative, intellectual, moral. Work motives are improving: workers prefer lower wages, but work according to their interests, giving them the opportunity to make their own decisions. More and more people combine family, work, self-education and sports in their lives.

The institutional structure of the information society so far includes six types of enterprises: economic (banks, stock exchanges, savings banks, etc.), social (pension, medical, sports, etc.), scientific, industrial (industry, construction, agriculture , transport), voluntary (orana of the environment, assistance to the elderly, etc.), households. Universities, research centers, academic institutions become the main institutions (institutions) of post-industrial societies.

The information society is based on TNCs. The development of the world under the influence of TNCs "corresponds to the natural tendencies of universal evolutionism - the mechanisms of self-organization that determined the development of all living things."

The previously backward countries of Asia followed the path of liberal-capitalist, and then bourgeois-socialist societies. For example, from 1950 to 1990, South Korea's GDP grew 120 times. The world system of socialism began to lose the scientific, technical, economic and demo-social confrontation to the social democratic societies. New technologies, product samples, life improvement ordinary people showed the weakness of Soviet society (formations and civilizations). In 1991, the world socialist system and the USSR collapsed. The countries of the Soviet bloc were not ready for the post-industrial era.

As a result of the collapse of the socialist system, the world balance of countries with different types of societies was disturbed. There was a separation of developed ("golden billion"), developing and undeveloped countries. A hierarchical pyramid of countries emerged: post-industrial capitalism (USA), bourgeois socialism (“old” European democracies), bourgeois-socialist orientation (Eastern Europe), Soviet socialism (Cuba, North Korea), state capitalism (Russia and some other CIS countries); colonial capitalism (many African countries).

Expansion intensified American civilization in the sphere of worldview, institutions, way of life. It meets fierce resistance in other civilizations: Islamic, Buddhist, Orthodox. The Islamic civilization included countries with different social formations - from post-industrial (Saudi Arabia) to primitive communal (Afghanistan). Civilizational confrontation sometimes turns out to be more important than formational uniformity.

The current world is a hierarchy of all technological and civilizational types of societies: agrarian, industrial, informational. Information societies play a leading role in relation to industrial ones, and the latter - in relation to agrarian ones. The base of this pyramid is narrowing, and the central - industrial - part is expanding. This corresponds to the stratification pyramid in the developed countries of the world. Obviously, for the growing humanity, the transition of most agrarian societies to industrial ones, and the latter to information ones, is fraught with an ecological catastrophe: the natural environment cannot withstand the technogenic load. There is a need to slow down the technological transition and manage globalization.

In the context of globalization, the deepening of the ecological crisis, post-industrialization, it is required to give up profitability and power as defining values, which means - from the economic greed and political ambition of entire classes and peoples of developed countries. To do this, it is necessary to mitigate the demo-social gap, the dominance of some countries over others on property, political, national and other grounds. The problem of creating an ecological society of earthlings has risen to its full height. In this regard, N. Moiseev, like other scientists, does not exclude the emergence of a new international totalitarianism, a kind of post-industrial Middle Ages.

September 11, 2001 was, apparently, evidence that the US neoliberal society (formation and civilization) is causing outrage in the world. The worldview of individualism, the superiority of the strong and the rich, the exploitation of the world, double standards, the movement towards ecological catastrophe received opposition from Islamic fundamentalism. It became clear that in order to make the world safe, it is necessary to make it more just. Only in this way can developed countries get rid of terrorists who are getting closer to more and more dangerous types of weapons.

The world is faced with the need to radically change international relations in the context of the ongoing scientific and technological revolution, the approaching environmental catastrophe, and blatant social inequality between countries. To solve these problems, the UN and its institutions need to return to the fight against the aggressive aspirations of the "advanced" countries. The relationship between countries from different historical eras should be reviewed in the direction of greater equality and justice. The West needs to share more with other countries rather than exploit them; it is necessary to impose tougher restrictions on the sale of weapons from developed countries to other countries and thereby stop the arms race; finally gotta start building world democratic state, civil society, economy and spirituality.

The concept of "information society" appeared in the second half of the 1960s. The introduction of the concept of "information society" is associated with the concept of "three waves" by Toffler. In the book "The Third Wave", Toffler never gave a direct definition of the concept of "information (or post-industrial) society" that he himself introduced. He defines it descriptively, by listing the parts that are radically new to today's life and will fundamentally change the life of the modern generation.

The term "information society" was used in Japan in 1966 in a report by the scientific, technical and economic research group, which stated that the information society is a society in which there is an abundance of high quality information, as well as all the necessary means of distribution.

“Information Society” is a civilization, the development and existence of which is based on a special intangible substance, conditionally called “information”, which has the property of interaction with both the spiritual and material world of man. On the one hand, information forms the material environment of human life, acting as innovative technologies, computer programs, telecommunication protocols, etc., and on the other hand, it serves as the main means of interpersonal relationships, constantly changing and transforming in the process of transition from one person to another. [Philosophical definition]

The formation of the information society is associated with the development of computing and information technology. Information technology has dramatically reduced the cost of processing and storing information.

The information society has three main characteristics.

First, information is used as an economic resource. Organizations are using information on an increasing scale to improve efficiency, stimulate innovation, and strengthen competitiveness. Secondly, information becomes the subject of mass consumption among the population. Thirdly, there is an intensive formation of the information sector of the economy, which is growing at a faster pace than other industries. Moreover, the movement towards the information society is a general trend for developed and developing countries.

As national information infrastructures are being built, it is imperative that they transform together into a global information infrastructure. This task requires unprecedented international cooperation aimed at guaranteeing every citizen the right to access the global information infrastructure. The principles that characterize the global information society are highlighted:

Ensuring fair competition;

Encouragement of private investment;

Definition and adaptation of regulatory mechanisms;

Security open access to networks;

Creation of conditions for ensuring universal access to information services; - Ensuring equality of opportunity for citizens;

Ensuring diversity of content, including cultural and linguistic;

Recognition of the need for international cooperation with particular attention to developing countries.

But it should be noted that the development of the information society is accompanied by such concepts as copyright protection, limited access to certain information.

Nutrition