Ict-Based Social Networks: Friend or Foe?

The importance of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) lies less in the technology itself, but rather on the technology-human interaction for creating greater access to information, facilitating communication and online transactions. In this respect, the purpose of this paper is to propose a discussion related to dual facets of the ICT explosive development. Even though the internet was originally designed to help university researchers and military establishments, taking into consideration that, according to worldstat.com, around 40% of the world population has an internet connection today (according to internetlivestats.com, in 1995 only 1% of the world population had internet access it is a legitimate question to find out how people’s lives are influenced by internet and technology. Undoubtedly, the ICT booming development has positively impacted our professional and personal lives, stimulating work productivity, efficiency, overcoming natural obstacles, geographic distances, and conventional borders (globalization is one of the combined effects), opening new research and industry avenues, ultimately pushing the limits of people’s lives further and further. On the other hand, studies related to about same period of time indicate that office productivity did not match the expected level – corresponding to the estimated ICT progress. It seems that improper or personal use of the office technology is to be blamed for this gap.