The universality and accessibility of information in the information society

This article attempts to look at information as the attribute of the information society with regard to its universality and accessibility. The theoretical part presents the concepts of the information society and defines the characteristics of the traditional and new media content. The empirical part of the study involvedthe analysis of data provided by the Central Statistical Office (GUS) from years 2010-2014 to demonstrate the changes in the universality and accessibility of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in Poland in the categories of households and enterprises. The study uses a descriptive method and details are presented in a tabular format.

Introduction

Information is now becoming one of the most valuable assets. Thanks to modern technologies information transfer is no longer limited. Messages can be transmitted virtually to anywhere in the world. The medium that provides the fastest transmission of information is undoubtedly the Internet. Information has become the main attribute of the information society which developed as a result of technological progressproviding every citizen with access to global information. The universality and accessibility of information, has become possible as early as in the sixties of the twentieth century, when the first computer and new telecommunications networks were built. Since then, we can observe the continued development of these networks. Universal and accessible information further needs to be received, processed and analyzed which requires new skills to use new information and communications technologies like mobile phones, computer or the Internet.

This article aims to present information as the attribute of the information society with regard to its universality and accessibility. Therefore, the study involved the analysis of data from Central Statistical Office (GUS) and desk based literature reviewto present the concept of information society and define the characteristics of traditional and new media content. In Poland, the monitoring of the household use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) has been conducted since 2004 and it pursues the methodology correlated with similar research carried out in the European Union States. The study uses a descriptive method and details are presented in a tabular format.

The concept of information society

The term ―information society‖ was used for the first time in 1963 in Japan by Tadao Umesao in the article on information industries.In the original language, the cited term was "johoka shakai", which means exactly ―information society‖4.

Currently, there is still no universally accepted, precise definition of the information society. The 1st Congress of Polish Information Technology defined the term as ―the society prepared and able to use information systems, computerized and using telecommunications services to transmit and remotely process information‖.5

Numerous definitions emphasize the importance of information. The access to this asset is closely connected with technological development and the obtained information provides a number of benefits in the form of knowledge, which, when properly used, can generate profit. Theencyclopaediaof mass media presents the information society as a development characteristic for post-industrial countries in which information becomes the most valuable commodityfor both individuals and enterprisesthat increasingly depend on it and wherethe IT sector generates the biggestshare of the gross domestic profit6.

The era of information societies, which has already swept most of the countries in the world, resulted in the change of the structure of employment. In the 1940s,Colin Clark, anAustralian economist, in hiswork ―The Conditions of Economic Progress‖ analyzed the processes of economic transformation and identified three sectors of economic activity:

• primary (extracting raw materials)
• secondary (manufacturing)
• tertiary (services)7.

Including services in thethree keysectors of economic activity was the signal of changes taking place in societies. When a society reaches a certain level of development, it becomes necessary to use new techniques of collecting, processing, transmitting and operating a large amount of information. The increased access to informationis followed by thegrowing productivity, competitiveness and improved quality of the service sector. The ability to quickly access reliable information facilitates the decision-making process and the increasing demand for services has led to the creation of new opportunities of entering the market8.

The characteristic features of the information society have been described by many authors. In 1973 Daniel Bell identified the following set of features: the increasing importance of theoretical knowledge, perceived as a source of innovation and the increased share of academics and specialists in the professional structure, which means faster development of technologies or creating new ones. He argued that the economy ofthe information society is dominated by the service sector while the fourth and fifth sectors are developing simultaneously. He also noted the controlled development of technology and believed that creating new ―intel ectual technologies‖wil be the basis fortaking political and social decisions9.

On the other hand, according to Manuel Castells, the most important features of the information society is the desire to seek new technological solutions, interactivity and networked communications. Castells stresses that every development is based on knowledge and information. Similarly to Daniel Bell, he argues that the development of the information society shifts economic activity from manufacturing goods to the provision of services, which results in the increasedemployment in the service sector10.

When explaining the concept of the information society, it would be valuable to explore both the strengths and weaknesses of this phenomenon. They can be presented from several different perspectives, including the perspective of an individual and an organization. From the point of view of an individual, information is a source of knowledge about foreign trends. It is the opportunity to update one‘s knowledge onthe current national and international events. People, consciously or not, are educated by the media in the field of information security, ecology, health, and, depending on their interests, they also acquire and broaden their knowledge in the chosen areas. Intellectuals and people with cognitiveorientation are able to explore and broaden their knowledge because they have access to information. Entrepreneurs, in turn, collect information about their competitors from around the world, recognize the opportunities created by domestic and foreign markets and obtaininformation about products or services that are not available on a given market. Thus, they can reach the target client group in a more precise way.

Despite its many advantages, access to information also has disadvantages. The risks include the so-called information gap that arises between the required information and available information11. A frequent adverse phenomenon is also incorrect, unnecessary or simply wrong information, obtained usually via the Internet, where almost every user has the ability to editand create content. Another mentioned threat is the danger of a surveillance society that is characterized by interference in citizens‘ private life, centralization and monopolization of information as well as alienation caused by automation and reduced employment rate.The manifestations of interference in private life includedata bases providing administrative information, health history, credit history, education and other personal data. A major problem are also all computer viruses or infiltration of persons who are not authorized to obtain particular information. It is a threat not only to individual persons. Possible loss of computer data, access to bank accounts or toone‘s own computer may also jeopardize companies. These threats, and others covered by the term―cyber crime‖,constitute a defect in the information society, which in the absence of adequate safety measures can be faced by any person or company12.

In Europe, the idea of information society was launched in 1993 when the European Council requested that a report be prepared for its meeting on 24 and 25 June 1994 by a group of prominent persons on the specific measures to be taken into consideration by the Community and the procedures for action and the necessary means. At the beginning the document stresses the importance of the cooperation between individual entrepreneurs, employers and governmentswith the aim to use new technologies to create new jobs. The most important recommendationsfor the future included:

• creating a liberal market, maintaining fair competition in telecommunications and information services,
• interconnection of networks, interoperability of services and information applications,
• change in the European standardization process in order to improve the pace of work and time response to market signals,
• protection of intellectual property,
• promotion and protection of linguistic and cultural differences in the European Union,
• development of cooperation with less developed countries (Central and Eastern Europe),
• raising public awarenessabout the opportunities created by the information 13

Characteristics of new and traditional media content

Mass media are a very important source of information in the information society. The broad understanding of the mass media perceives them mainly as a source of information and entertainment. However, initiallymass media development was driven by the idea to use modern technology to generate profit and soon advertising became the main factor drivingthe economic development14.

From the twentieth century mass media have been developing their activities and range at a surprisingly fast pace: starting 

Member States for the infrastructures in the sphere of information. On the basis of this report, the Council was to adopt an operational programme defining precise

from the local newspapers, through national newspapers, to the development of electronic media, i.e. the radio, television and finally the Internet. The reach and impact of the mass media today make it unimaginable for a modern man to spend even one day without the newspapers, radio, television or the Internet. To some extent, each of us relies on access to information provided by various media

The primary determinant of media content is audience, who pays a fixed price for a copy of a newspaper orthe radio and television subscription fee to receive information, and thus, provides finance for investment and business expansion. But as the demand for information had been satisfied the needs of the audience evolved and diversified. The society expected information from abroad and sensational newson public figures and celebrities15.

Media have reached a very high degree of flexibility. Print media, radio and television channels have adapted their content to specific target audiences. Thus, people could find information or entertainment correspondingto their interests. Furthermore mass media create our behaviour and attitudes towards specific situations. Usually the audience remains unaware of that fact and passively consumes what is being served. Often, the audience focuses on the news and facts from the lives of celebrities, which are presented in a form ensuring to attract a possibly large audience. In some cases, it can lead to a situation where the information provided by the media is so modified that in fact, it becomes a fiction. Despite that fact, people are inclined to continue reading, listening or watching them. Such manipulations are possible not only with regard to celebrity news, but are also used to cover current affairs. Consequently, in this way, entrepreneurs or politicians can use the media to influence the audience attitudes.16

However, the reception of media content is determined by a number of factors. The proper decoding of a message requires most accurate categorization. The more accurate categorization, the more information reaches the target recipients. Understanding also depends on the culture of a given society. Often the media produce messages which allude to current affairs and, through their prism,they try to get through with new piece of information. Similar functions are assigned to stereotypes, gestures, slogans or well known utterances which attract attention and provoke positive emotions.

Once a message reached the recipient, the next element is its interpretation. The recipient must understand the meaning of the message and form an opinion on the issue. After interpreting the message, the recipient assesses it. The assessment is, however, very individual, depending on the experience, knowledge or previous opinion held by the recipient, because each of us has his or her own assessment criteria. However, if the message has been properly categorized and provokes either positive or negative opinion, it can change the existing view of the receiver.

The main objective of the message, particularly advertising message, is to be remembered and, consequently, ensure the expected reaction of a potential client. Depending on what was the essence of the message, the feedback received by the sender can be very elongated over time, very fast, or it may not be available at all. The feedback and frequent problems with receiving one is a challenge faced by senders of messages using traditional media.17

On the other hand, the new media audiences demonstrate rather active than passive attitudes. The users of the new means of social communication participate in content creation by posting information and opinions. Through easy access to the web, we become co-creators of the media content.

Another important feature of the new media is the integration of telecommunications involving communication and exchange of data within a single medium. Integration can occur at the level of infrastructure, transport, management, services and types of data. Another widely recognized quality of the new media is interactivity, which can be seen in four dimensions. First the spatial dimension is defined as the establishment of bilateral or multilateral communication. Second the time dimension is described as the ability to communicate in a freely chosen time and place. Third the behavioural dimension involves the possibility to exchange roles between the recipient and the sender, and ensure control over the events that take place during the interaction. And fourth the intellectual dimension – defined as theunderstanding of the meanings and ontexts of actions generated by the interacting parties.

The comparison of traditional and new media demands reference to the nine communication skills which include: speed, coverage, capacity, accuracy, selectivity, interactivity,richness of stimuli, complexity and privacy protection.20 Both the new and some traditional media (like a telephone, the radio or television) have a similar speed of reaching audiences worldwide. By telephone or electronic mail, we are able to contact any person in the world. The media coverage has both geographical and social dimension. In the case of the new media the coverage is very wide, because through the telephone lines and the Internet all countries are connected tothe integrated telecommunications network enabling data exchange. The capacity of the new media is significantly greater than in the case of the traditional media, where the limit is human memory. The digital memory is able to store an almost unlimited amount of information. The accuracy of informationis a category which also distinguishes new media. Data, figures and images provide much more preciseinformation, especiallycompared to the ambiguous analogue messages,e.g. conveyed on the telephone. Another important communication feature is the selectivity of messages and addressees.In the new media potential recipients are precisely defined and it is possible to contact particular groups of people or individuals.The new media are also interactive,even though, it is not the level of aninteractivity experienced in a face to face conversation because we do not convey emotions and non-verbal signals. Similarly, the richness of stimuli, characteristic for direct communication, cannot be transmitted by the new media andtherefore, for example, the experience of teleshopping cannot be compared with the experience of doing shopping in a real store. Also the complexity of the new mediais rather low. It is rather hard to take complex decisions or negotiate online. In the case of the new media it is also difficult,or practically almost impossible, to protect privacy. One can use the radio, print media or television and remain anonymous while online, the Internet users‘ profiles are being created and all their activities are recorded.

The above comparison shows that the new media offer far more possibilities than the traditional media. However, despite the numerous advantages of the new media, they havetheir drawbacks and limitations. The most significant problems include the lack of privacy and anonymity online as well as the fact that the communication via the Internet will never equal face to face communication.

Accessibility and use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in Poland In Poland, in 2013, the percentage of households having a computer at home was 5% lower than in the whole European Union (80%) and the statistic is similar to year 2012. Still the first position is held by Iceland, where 97% of households have a computer, and the last – by Bulgaria (55%). The proportion of Poles regularly using a computer was 11% lower than the average in the European Union countries.

Table 1. Household Access to a Computer and Internet in Total and Use of Online Communications Services in the Past Three Months in Years 2010 to 2014 [in %]

Source: own elaboration based on: Information Society in Poland. Statistics from the years 2010 2014. Central Statistical Office (GUS) Statistical Office in Szczecin. Information and Statistics,Warszawa 2014, pp. 95 -115 and 126128.

In 2014 more than three quarters of Poles had access to a computer (Table 1). In big cities the proportion was 82% of households. The disparities between big cities and towns or villages were not so significant. In big cities the proportion of regular computer users was 74.4%, 64.5% in towns and 54.8% in rural areas.

The analysis of Internet access shows that in 2013 the proportion of households with Internet access was 6% lower than the European average (similar to 2012), but about 24% lower than in Iceland, which ranks first among the European Union countries. In 2014 74.8% of households had access to the Internet (Table 1). Compared to 2010, the largest increase in Internet access rate was recorded in rural areas and in areas with a low degree of urbanization (respectively 15.3% and 12.3%). The proportion of households with broadband Internet connection was 71.1%. However, households in rural areas were much less likely to have broadband Internet than households in urban areas. In 2014 this proportion was respectively 66.7% in rural areas and 79.9%.in big cities Compared to 2010 the largest increase in the proportion of households with broadband internet connection was recorded in rural areas (19.8%), while in towns and big cities it was respectively 7.7% and 11.1%.

The main reason for no Internet access at home declared by the respondents was that they ―did not need it‖ and in comparison with the year 2013, in 2014 this rate was lower by 5.8% and dropped to 59.1% of households without the Internet. In the previous years, this indicator showed the tendency to grow but in 2014 a decline was recorded for the first time. This reason for no Internet access was declared in the first place by the residents of towns, in the second place – the residents of big cities and in the third place – the residents of rural areas. The second most commonly declared reason was a lack of appropriate skills (44.8%), which increased by 9% compared to the previous year. It shows that the rank of competence necessary to use new technologies is growing.

The most common activity undertaken online was sending and receiving electronic mail (Table 1). In 2014 this form of communication was used by 52.9% of the population (79.5% of the Internet users, compared to 81.9% in the previous year). People living in cities, especially big cities, used the Internet for communication purposes more frequently than the residents of rural areas. The second most common Internet activity was finding information about goods and services (50% of the population). This category of online activitiesshowed the largest rise in the years 2009 -2013 (20.8%).

In the case of the Member States of the European Union, the vast majority of companies use computers and have Internet access. Currently, the proportion ranges from 95% to 100% of computerized companies with Internet access. In 2013 Lithuania, the Netherlands and Finland ranked highest in the category of computerized companies (nearly 100%), and the last was Romania (approx. 85%). The position of Poland was 24. The use of computers in companies was shown in the table below. 

Table 2. Use of computers and access to the Internet in enterprises in 2010-2014 [in %]

Source: own elaboration based on: Information Society in Poland. Statistics from the years 2010 2014. Central Statistical Office (GUS) Statistical Office in Szczecin. Information and Statistics,Warszawa 2014, pp. 36-41. 

It should be noted that the use of computers depends on the type of business operations and the size of the company. In the case of big companies, this proportion is close to 100%, and for small and medium enterprises it is about 90%. Not all business operations require computers and the ability to opt out of computers in the company leads to cost reduction.

The statistic concerning Internet accessin companies looks very similar. Again the proportions depend on the size and operations of the enterprise. In big enterprises the rate was close to 100% and therefore the total value is lower (Table 2). In smaller companies the access to the Internet is not always necessary, just as in the case of computer equipment. Compared to other European countries with regard to Internet access, Poland ranked 23, and the last position was occupied by Romania. The leaders of this ranking were the same countries in which the companies use computers to the greatest extent.

Conclusions

In order to make the information universally accessible, it is necessary to develop not only telecommunications infrastructure, but also the multimedia corporations, technology, computer science and general education in the field of new possibilities of obtaining information. The development of technology and new market opportunities facilitates access to information for both individuals and businesses. Knowledge, to which we have access through widely accessible information, when appropriately used, can bring considerable benefits in the form of an increased standard of living of citizens and their prosperity. Furthermore, it creates the opportunity to catch up with the economic level of the other, more developed countries.

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