yy i eee ca Ting aca NUen oN 8 will be able to: 3 the end of this chapter, you know and understand what is meant hy an electronic currency, including + different types © character * advantages and disadventages tics + impact and tists know and understand what is meant by data mining, including: # processes cf data mining advantages and disadvantages oe ae arena etre ae | know and understand the impact of IT on a range of areas in society, including snonitoring and surveillance Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistribution12 [Tin seciety + Do you understand what is meant by nformation technology? + Do you understand that technology is used extensively in many parts of our cociety? © Do you understand that our data is valuable to companies and is used extensively to aid decision making in companies? © Do you understand! wi Introduction IT has become an integral part of our society and some would argue that it is very difficult to imagine a society without 1. Itaffects many aspects of our lives, ineloding sw we spend our money, how our data is stored. and mined, how we communicate and how we lear, amongst many other aspects 12.1 Electronic currency An electronic currency is a payment method that occurs in digital form, It does not ruvolve the exchange of physical currency, suck as coins and bank notes. There are several types of electronic currency. These include: digital currency. virtual currency, cryptocurrency, central bank digital base money and stored value cards. These terms can sometimes be used interchangeably, but some information, for clarity, is given for each. The terms electronic currency and digital curreney are oft used interchangeably, electronic currency: a payment inethod that ‘occurs in a digital form tis meant by social networking? Figure 12.1: Electronic payment Digital currency A digital curreney is a method of payment that is similar to paying with coins and bank notes. However, rather ‘han exchanging physical bank notes and coins to make the payment, the curreney is exchanged digitally using computers. There are several different forms of digital currency. The most popular are payments using credit cards, mobile phones and smart watches. A common reference for this kind of payment is that itis like having an electronic wallet, Credit cards can be used w’th card payment machines that will either allow the magnetic stripe to be swiped, the card to be inserted into the machine and the chip to be read, or touching the card to the computer using ‘method calicd contactless payment. In all cases, data 2s > Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistribution> CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL that is stored on the card is read by the computer. This data will contain the information required to locate the user's bank account. The business can then request that the correct sum of money is deducted from the user's bank account and sent to the business's account, Another form of digital currency that is similar to a credit card isa stored value card. This isa type of eard that has set srn0unt of currency stored on it, for example, $100) ‘The card can be used to pay for items and the value stored ‘COURSEBOOK their mobile c-vice to the card payment machine and the app will provide the data to access the user’s bank account, ina sinilar way to the credit card method, Imagine a world where physical currency doesn’t ‘exist, and all payment transactions are digital. In what way do you think the world would change? ‘on the card will decrease until it reaches 0. Banks often provide the cards to people who are not able to have a credit card due to issues such as credit rating. There are two kinds of stored value card, The first is the closed-loop card, ‘This is where a monetary value can only te loaded onto it ‘once, and itis discarded when all tve money is spent, The second is the open-loop card. This és where a monetary ‘value can be repeatedly loaded ento the card Mobile phones and smatt yatches can be used in a similar way to the contactless payment that can be made with credit cards. A uses com install an app onto their mobile device that acts a2 a digital eredit card, Examples of this ‘would be Apple Pay and Google Pay. The user can touch this system is therefore one that does not have a central Do you think it would have a positive or a negative impact? Give a reason for your answer. Virtual currency Virtual currency is also a type of digital currency. However, unlike which are cen decentral system is one that has a central body that is managing igital currencies discussed, alised systems, virtual currency is & system. In simple terms, a centralised -gulating the use of the currency. In most cases is the government and banks. A decentralised ‘A person doesn’t need to carry physical money around, which could be easily lost. There is often a monetary imit on contactless payments. ifa card or mobile device is lost, the user can contact their bank to stop any monetary transactions from the card or device. ‘As data is sent electronically, there is always the risk that the transactions could be hacked, Al transactions are completed using encrypted methods, so data is sent securely ‘Some people are anxious about the thought of contactless payrnents, believing that they could walk near @ payment machine and money could be deducted from their account. The use of contactle: products and services. payments can speed up payment for ‘Some may think that people can lose track of their spending as they are not handing over | physical money for the transaction. Ifa users in a different country, they don’t need to have the physical currency of that country available in their wallet. They cen use a digital method and the banks involved will electronically change the transaction from one cuireney to the other, Ifa card or device is lost, its possible for another person to use it for contactless payments, before the user has chance to cancel t The user doesn’t necessarily need to remeniber their PIN number each time, if they are using contactless payments methods. The use of payment methods, such as stored value cards, can prevent a person from getting into debt, as they can only spend the set amount that is stored on the card Table 12.1: Advantages and disadvantages of digital currency 266 > Copyright Material - Review Only ~ Not for Redistributionbody managing the process, Tle most common way to manage transactions with & decentralised system is through the use of a ledger, for example, blockchain, Use the internet to research what blockchain is and how itis used to monitor payments | transactions. com CY Virtual currency also differs from the digital eucvencies already discussed, in that it only exists within a virtual environment, and does not have a physical representation as bank notes and coins. An example of a virlual currency would be tokens that can be collected or bought, for example, within a computer game, that allow players to buy different tems within the game, such as new clothing The player can buy ‘certain number of toxens and use this as virtual ‘curreney in the game. For this reason, a virtual currency is normally specitic to the particular game or application for which it was created, and cannot normally be traded anywhere else |itcen personalise | Is a decentrali game or application by | system, so has little making it fun to collect | regulation. and spend the specific virtual currency. Normally specific to the context for which it was | created and cannot be spent elsewhere. Table 12.2: Advantages and disadvantages of virual currency. Cryetocurrency The most well-known examples of eryplocurrencies ‘ue Bitcoin and LiteCoin, Some cryptocurrencies, like these, are tracked using systems such as blockehain. 12 [Tin seciety ‘These cryptocurrencies are also a type of peer-to-peer electronic monetary system. This type of payment system ic designed to allow peers to send electronic payment to each other without the need for it going via central body, such as a financial institution. ‘The value of a eryptocurrency can often fluctuate a ‘great deal. In 2011, | bitcoin was worth 1 US dollar, At the end of 2017, | bitcoin was worth close to 20000 US dollars, In 2018, it fell again and was worth, approximately 6000 US dollars freuen Use the internet to find out what 1 bitcoin is worth today in your country’s currency, Figure 12.2: Bitcoin, Many people use bitcoin to buy and sell products over the internct. Some support the use of a decentralised currency, as it allows people, especially businesses, to male payments that do not involve the usual charges that are applied by banks in a centralised system. Others have a more controversial stance on the use of | 1 decentralised currency, as they believe it can allow a. level of anonymity in payments, that means criminal activity is difficult to trace Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistribution> CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL IT: COURSEBOOK [RAR ORGANS] —telcoins thee you can use in payments everyday. = (Creating cgital fiat money in this way would mean that The usual charges The decentralised banks effectively create digital currency. Each unit of that can apply to systems allows a level currency in CBDC will act as an equivalent of a paper bank transactions of anonymity that some | ack note. I willbe similar to bank notes in that it will are not preseni for believe encourages have a serial number. There will also be distinguishable cryptocurrency. Griminal activity andl characteristics on the unit that will prevent fake units allows itto.gountraced. | being created. People are able to invest | There have been @ in bitcoin and possibly | number of instances make money if they can | where businesses have sell for a higher rate. | been hacked and bitcoin has been siolen. As the system is decentralised, there is no bank to help resolve this kind of theft create counterfeit | Banks intend to use it as part of the controlled supply of currency by the central bank, and it will work alongside existing currency such as physical bank notes, ‘and coins, There are several banks around the world that are currently looking into the development and use ‘of CBDC. These inchide The Bank of England, People’s Bank of China and tie Bank of Canada, currency for a ‘As no physical currency | Some people like eryptocurrency, bacause will neod to be exchanged | the privacy of the of all the security it between banks, the cost | anonymity that they involves. of transactions will be | can have with using 2 reduced, physical currency. Ifa Table 12.3: Advantages and disadvantages of person pays with cash, cexyptocurrency there is no record of their details attached to that payment, by ‘The growth of cryptocurrency has proved troubiing to growth of crypt xy has proved troubiing t tothat ps banks around the world. Businesses have began using, it more, preferring the free nature of which they can The banks’ ability to exchange the curreney. This isa threat to traditional speed up the exchange ‘banks offering traditional methods, because they rely on | of money will be gre the fees generated and the cash inpet from businesses to | improved. a survive. This has led to some banks considering creating [Some believe shat if their own cryptocurrency. physical currency became obsolete, in favour of CBDC, criminal acts such as money laundering and tax evasion would decrease, as these often What do you think about banks creating their ‘own cryptocurrency? What advantages and disadvantages to you think this would create? eb) Oo te ec eivece | [outrency. It costs money to produce physical currency, Central bank digital base therefore if it ceased to exist, then these costs money would be saved and could be invested into the Central bank digital bas {also known as central Central bank digital base money (aso known as central | ESAT PCE bank digital currency (CBDC)) is the digital form of What is known as fiat money. Fiat money is the currency that is the physical currency used in a country, that is issued by governments aad banks. It is the bank notes SK 0 a 268 > Table 12.4: Advantages and disacvantages of CDC currency. Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistribution12.2 Data m Data mining is a form of data analysis. It is also a form of artificial intelligence. The process of data mining. involves searching through and analysing large sets of data to establish patterns and trends. This information ccan be used to help identify future trends that could be very valuable (0 a company. The large sets of data used are stored in data warehouses, data mining: the process of collecting iarge sets of data and analysing them to iclentity patterns and trends Why could the ebilty to identify future trends be so valuable to a company? ‘Compviers are used for data mining because of the shees volume of data that is searched and analysed, Data mining, The process of data mining {he process of data mining is complex and involves several different stages Stage 1: Business understanding ‘There are three main elements to the business understanding stage: setting ths objectives, developing the projec plan and establishing the criteria for success. 12 ITinseciety In order to establish the kind of data that needs to be mined and eunalysed, the objectives of the business need to be understood, The business understanding stage is where the needs of the business are discovered, and an in-depth analysis takes place to ascertain these. ‘Once the business needs have been established, other important factors, such as the resources available, the constraints on the process and a data mining plan and ‘goals must be considered. The data mining plan will involve developing queries to interrogate the data, Stage 2: Data understanding The data understanding stage involves an initial collection of data, This s normally collected from various sources that are available. Once the data is collected, the integrity, accuracy and the properties of the data are eansidered, to make sue that its visble. ‘Once the data is established as viable, it ean be interrogated using queries that were developed in the business understanding stage, This interrogation \will help the business understand whether the data is complete and will provide them with the desired outcome. Stage 3: Data preparation ‘This is the largest stage in the project and the most time consuming. During this stage the data is taken through ‘a whole process of selection, cleansing, construction and formatting, to make sure that itis in the form required for the business. This can then allow for patterns and trends to be establishes in the data, relating to the business needs, Stage 4: Data modelling During this stage, various test scenarios are generated to 1odel the data. This wil allow the business to derstand whether the models are suitable forthe business needs and thatthe models fallin line withthe business initiatives. Stage 5: Evaluation In the evaluation stage, the results generated by the models are evaluated, The outcome of this evaluation may produce new business needs, depending on the patterns and trends that have been identified in the process. Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistribution> CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL IT: COURSEBOOK Stage 6: Deployment ‘The deployment stage normally involves creating a report and other visual material to present the findings of the data mining process to the stakeholders of a business. This taformation can then be used by the stakeholders 10 decide what actions the business will take next If the stakeholders feel the business hasn’t achieved an informative enough result, they may choose to repeat the data mining process to further refine the information ‘gathered from the process. Figure 12.4: Refining the data mining po. Use of data mining ‘The use of data mining is increasing. Many different organisations make use of data mining to aid their planning and the actions they choose to take. ‘Sometimes, the use of data mining can be critical to highly sensitive situations, National security and surveillance jernments make continued use of data mining to aid ration security. [tis used to analyse intelligence (nat is gathered to highlight the current activity in 2 sountry nd predict possible future activity: This can help reduce the risk of attack or dangerous activity in the country. ‘The use of data mining in surveillance is an ongoing controversial matter. In surveillance, data mining is used ina similar way to how it is sed in Surveillance data, such as CCTV footage and recorded telephoue calls, are analysed to predict issues such as criminal activity, Some people agree with the use of data, mining in this way because they believe it keeps people saier, Others completely disagree with the use of data jing in this way because they believe it is a violation of privacy, How do you feel about the use of data mining in suneillance? ‘One type of surveillance that data mining is used for is corporate surveillance, This is when corporations mine people's data that can be used for marketing purposes ‘or Sold to other companies, A business can use this information to tailor their products or advertising to individuals, This is also known as data profiling Figure 12.5: Suvellance. Business Businesses use data mining for a variety of different reasons, from predicting customer spending habits, predicting product trends and even in hiring staff. Data mining is valuable to a business because, if they are able to predict what products customers will buy, they can beat their competitor to market and gain a competitive advantage. This can ultimately result in increased sales revenue, and possibly profits, for the business. ‘One business application of data mining is customer relationship management (CRM). The aim of CRM is to improve customer loyalty and to implement business strategies that a-e customer focussed. In order to build customer loyaity, a business needs to predict the needs of the customer, this is where data mining can be used. 270» Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for RedistributionQuestion 11 How do you think a business could make use of data mining when hiring staf? Research Research is a fundamental and imperative part of so in society. It helps revolutionise industries ine, space exploration, engineering and technology. Data mining is often the underpinning tool in research. Research companies can also make use of other research company’s data, through the use of data mining. This can speed up core developmcnts in these key industries. ‘One research and healtheare application of data ‘ining is bio-informatics. This is the practice of mining, biological data to extract medical patterns and trends. This can be used in practices such as gene finding and disease research and diagnosis. Health care Data mining is increasingly used to improve health care. It can be used to identify success practices in health ceare and to also help reduce costs. It can also be used to predict the volume of patients that will visit medical institutions, so that appropriate levels of stalling can be putin place. Predicting social and economic trends Data mining has a large role in predicting future social and economic trends. Many institutions are concerned 12 [Tin seciety ‘with the stabilisation and growth of the global economic ‘market, Any data and intelligence that can predict what ‘might happen in future with the economy can help important institutions, such as governments, to prepare for any possible crisis that may occur. Companies ean aiso use the ability to predict what may lay ahead with the economy to make important business decisions, such ‘as where they should plan to expand their business Ethical and privacy implications Individuals and organisations have concerns about the ethical and privacy implications of data mining This often revolves around the use of data mined about individuals that is then used to target them with products and advertising, There can be certain issues ‘with this. Ifa person searches for a certain product or service, they may be bombarded with similar products fora long tine afterwards. This might not be too bad if this was for something they like, but if the search was fora product that can then create upsetting feelings at a later date, the constant reminder of the targeted advertising may be harmful. For example, if a person searches for their favourite chocolate, but then decides to start a healthy cating diet, they may keep being tempted by targeted adverts about chocolate. Another «example could be a person who searches for symptoms ‘of a medical ailment that they have. This data is then available and mined by lots of companies, and the individual may never want people to be aware of their medical issues. ‘The ethical issues also prompt privacy issues that many individuals have. Many people feel itis a violation of their privacy, and also unethical, for companies who have collscied their data to share this with other ‘companies How would you feel about a company sharing data they have collected about you with another company? Do you feel this affects your privacy? Do you think this is an ethical practice? Advantages and disadvantages of data mining You may have realised there can be both advantages and disadvantages o° data mining. These may be for the individual or the organisation: > Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistribution> CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL IT: COURSEBOOK aS S SRR Sle case stu of dt mining A very high-profile case involving data mining was the Allows organisations to | The process of data ‘ " make stretegie decisions | mining, the sofware Facetook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, The whole that can help maintain | tools and the skilled ctgeiatvolved the way companiss collect, use and share people's data. The case occurred not because orinerene er staff required are allvery | companies involved necessarily broke the la, but i because ethical issues were raised about their activities | inciting data This occurred as there were no Allows organisations Many people see the strict laws in place within the countries concerned to understand their Practice of data mining that necessarily governed this practice, The companies customers and create | as both unethical and an involved were accused though of exploiting loopholes in the products they need. | invasion of their privacy. the law to unethically mine data. ‘The scandal revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy ‘rm that mined data, had collected Allows individuals to | Storage costs for data the personal data avaiable from millions of people's see targeted product are vary expensive, Facebook profiles. They did this without the consent of on the things they increase the cost of the ee Tihs data'was then analysed and used for political advertising purposes. The data was already like. This means | process of data mining. used to liivence public opinion. adverts could be more meaningful to them. It AS result, on 25th May 2018, a new law was could also hei them implemented to help govern the practice of data mining see products they would for EU residents. This has meant that any companies like but do not currently ‘wanting to gather the data of EU citizens must seek their permission to do so. It details clear guidelines and —————— |. __ aa definitions about how data can be collected and used, Gg ewsiimportant ‘The masses of data It also forces companies to consider questions such as institutions to predict | stored prove a great “Why am Teollecting ths data”, “What do Tintend to do future crisis that they | security issue, 2shackers | yin!" hie data? andlDie I have the users consent to ase can then plan strategies | will want to gain access | {hi data. and solutions to help —_| to the data because it handle or avoid them. _| has ¢ high value, Allows businesses to | The outcomes produced save costscitherby |Lydatamningareony | 12.3 SOcial networking Understanding how to | predictions based on streamline what they _| patterns and trends in heady do, orbyfot | past data, They are not investing in a future | an accurate selence and product that they can _| itis very possible for how be aware may not. | them to be incoreet It can often seem that the world is obsessed with social networking, but it has grown to be an inherent part of many people’ lives. They rely on it for entertainment, communication and often as a source of news. People use social networking methods to share information about their daily lives, including how they feel, what peidssied -} makes them happy, what irritates them, what they are ; eating, where they are on holiday and what their beliefs Table 12.5: Advantages and disadvantages of data mining. are The world likes to share! social networking: the use of websites and apps that allows users to communicate and interact SK 0 a 272» Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for RedistributionFigure 12.7: Sharing data on social networks, ‘There are several different types of social networking, ‘These include chat rooms, instant messaging, forums, email, blogs and microblogs. These are all forms of ‘communication technologies that are also known as social media. Users normaliy use these technologies on a personal computer or a mobile device and they are often accessed using a website or an app. Chat rooms Acchat room is an online service that allows multiple users 10 type messages (0 each other, allowing them to chai. They are meant to be similar to people gathering, in a room and chatting about what interests them. Chat rooms are often ereated to allow users to discuss a particular topic or issue. Users are given « username ‘and password to enter the chat room. Whea they log. in, they can normally see which other users are online ‘and type messages into a text input box. These messages are then displayed as a dialogue onscreen. The process is interactive and designed to atiow multiple users to communicate and discuss the chosen topic. 12 [Tin society Chat rooms are mainly used by individuals, but they could be used by businesses and organisation as a type of marketing tool. A business who wanted to expand a current product oF service, or launch a new one, could use it as a method of gaining feedback. A chat room could bbe set up to discuss the product and a selection of users ‘could be sent the log-in details. When the users enter the chat room, the business could ask questions or make comments about the product to prompt discussion, Instant messaging Instant messaging is one of the earlier forms of social networking. It is designed io allow two users to send ‘messages to each other in real-time. Although this often happens between two users, itis possible for ‘more to be included if group instant message thread is ereated, Scveral social media platforms have an instant messaging service built into them. These inchude Facebook, Instagram and Skype. Some other media, such as online gaming, also have instant messaging facilities built into them, Many individuals and organisations use instant ‘messaging facilites. Individuals use them to converse sing text with friends and family. They can also use them to contact a business, who have a social media presence, to ask them a question, or make a complaint. Many instant messaging facilities have a reporting function that allows a user to see when the other person has read their ‘message, and when they are currently replying. A user can also see when another user is currently online, Instant messaging can also be used to send other media, such as sound files, images, video files and emojis Figure 12. Businesses and organisations have begun to develop, internal instant messaging facilities. This allows departments to message other workers in the Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistribution> CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL department to ask a quick question or make a quick observation or comment about a current issue or idea, This facility is also known as a LAN messenger. Use the internet to research more information about how businesses and organisations can use a LAN messenger. QI Forums Forums are an online place that users can post thoughts, ideas and questions, Other users can then reply to the post with their thoughts, feedback and answers to any questions. Forums are different to chat facilities because they do not have the sam level of live interaction. A. user who posts a question on a forum is not likely to be needing an immediate reply from other users, They cean post their question, then return to the forum at a later time to see what answers and advice other users have given. Other users can also search a forum to see if someone has already asked for an answer to their question and they can read the previous responses gi if it has already been asked, Some forum platforms will have a user who is called a ‘moderator. The forum will have rules that users must abide by to post on the forum. The role of the moderator is to check the forum on a regular basis to snake sure that users are abiding by the rules. The moderator will remove any posts and can block any asers from posting if they break the rules. Some forums may be very strict and will only allow posts to be visible on the forum when they have been approved by the moderator. Most forum platforms will require users to register to be able to post or reply to comments If users do not want to post or reply to posts, then they can normally read the forum, posts without the need to register. Ina forum, posts are structured as threads. A user posts| ‘a question, which starts a thread, Other users post their reply to the question, which are all added to the same thread. This allows the original user who posted 10 be able to see all the replies to their post. A forum, will normally have a particular topic as a theme, for example, technical support, healthcare issves, computer ‘games and makeup tips Forums are mainly used by individuals, but businesses and organisations do also use thein, A business can use a forum as a support facility. It can have a forum OURSEBOOK platform thet allows users to post questions or ask for support about their product. A moderator or other can, then reply to users’ requests and provide any support needed. This type of support facility can be useful to a business as a method of customer service. Forums can also be used to seek advice and support oon issues such as health, education and finances, Users may post about a particular health issue, such as their symptoms, and other users can provide information about what health issue they think the person has. Users cean also share information about what advice they have been given regarding a particular health issue, and ask other users to post whether they have received similar or different advice. A user could also post seeking financial advice about a certain scenario they find themselves in, or for advice about investments, and other users could post offering their advice, Forums soinetimes have dedicated professionals that will post experienced advice to the initial user, but there can also be posts from other users who may be offering personal advice, but are not professionals, Therefore, users should always be cautious about any advice given by other users as this may not be correct or accurate, Think a forum idea that you and a partner could set up. Make a list of rules for your forum that you want users to abide by. Email An email (short for electronic mail) is a message that can be sent by 4 user to one or more users. Email is similar to sending an electronic version of a letter. The user writes the letter then addresses it to send it to another user using their email address. This is an address that is linked to their email account, A user registers for an email account with an email provider, and as part of their registration they choose a unique email address. ‘They can then give this address to any other user so they cean be sent emails, Itis easy to identify if an address is an email address as they normally have an “@” symbol within them, and a domain name (for example.com). Businesses and organisations use email extensively. For many, it is one of their main methods of communication. It can be used to easily send information Wo everyone within a company. Businesses Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistributionccan also use email to send information to customers and potential customers to provide them with information, such as.a recent offer tiey have or a new product. This is ‘4 more direct method than requiring their customers to Took at their other social media platforms, Individuals also use email communication to contact family, friends and organisations. Email is used to send. messages to family and friends that the writer may feel is ore extensive than what they would put in an instant message. People can also use email to contact an ‘oiganisation, for example, to make a complaint. Gaon cutie Use the internet to research the first emails that were sent. Find out who sent them and what they contained Blogs and microblogs A blog (whici is short for weblog) isan online version of a journal. Biogs are set up by individuals, or groups of individuals, normally to report on ther ives or 4 particular topic. Blogs are structured in reverse chronological order, which means that the most recent pest to the blog will appear first Blogs are read by people all over the world, They have become a very popular way of people finding out about lots of information in which they are interested. The blogger will usually use some online software to create their blog. Popular online blogging software includes WordPress and Squarespace, Microblogs are similar to blogs, but posts are created ‘with a much smaller level of content. A blog may have posts that are a thoncand words or more. However, ‘a microblog will have posts that are just a couple of sentences or jus! an image. Popular microblogs include ‘Twitter and Instagram. Businessess and organisations can make use of blogs as a method of providing information, to customers, and potential customers about developments within the ‘company. Education facilities, such as schools, can use blogs to allow parents and students to see what has been happening in different departments within the school, including any recent school events. Organisations such as police and law enforcement ‘can use microblogs to provide regular updates to ‘communities about problems and issues on a local 12 [Tin society ‘or national scale. Schools could also use micrablogs to provide « siream of information for parents about recent updates in the school. Microblogs have become 44 popular source of news for people around the world. News platforms will posta headline on their microblog that can provide a link to a full article for the user to view. Some individuals make a living asa fulltime blogger. ‘They have so many users that read their biog that it attracts companies who want to place adverts on their blog. They are paid for the adverts that are displayed on their blog, which provides them with an income. Video has become a very popular media in blogging, and people who use videos to blog are known as vioggers. Figure 12.10: Video blogging Impact of social networking Social networling has had a buge impact on both individuals ond businesses. Some ‘eel that it has had a positive impact on the lives of individuals. It has allowed us to communicate with people on a global scale, This means that family and friends that live in different countries ean share ‘more about their lives which can help people feel more connected and so happier and less alone. Some also feel that it has allowed us to connect with strangers and make more friends with people who share similar thoughts and beliefs to us. The result of this is that people feel happier and more passionate about their thoughts and ideas because they are able to share and, develop them with those that think alike. Some feel that social networking has had a negative impact on the lives of individuals. They believe it has a detrimen‘al effect on our mental health. Social Copyright Material - Review Only - Not for Redistribution