Application and Implications of Information Technologies in the Home: Where Arethe Data and What Do They Say

摘要

Information technologies (IT)-which includes technologies for data storage andretrieval, computing, and communication, and their direct and indirect applications-are transforming our lives. Although researchers in many fields have gathered data about people's IT use, the data are of highly variable quality; there has been little integrated analysis, and the overall impact of the phenomena is not clear. Important information about the shape and direction of IT use, and especially its impact in the home, remain uncharted. In light of the above, the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Division of Science Resources Studies (SRS) contracted with SRI International's Science and Technology Policy Program to undertake a project on 'The Application and Implications of Information Technologies in the Home: Where Are the Data and What Do They Say.' The project's objective was to develop a consolidated information base for SRS, NSF, and the larger science and policy communities to use in building knowledge on the application and implications of IT in the home and how these vary depending on the household setting and who is using the technology.