Role of Computers in Daily Life

1.You wake up in the morning, switch on your PC and check mails or update your Facebook status. You go to work, switch on your computer and work. You come back from work, and re-check your mails, make entries in your account folder, check your bank balance, etc. You watch a movie or play one round of computer game and end your day. But wait, in this busy schedule, have you wondered how much you are dependent on your PC or computer for your daily activities. Computers play an important role in our life today. Let us know more about it.

2.When talking about the use of computers in everyday life, we talk about the direct as well as indirect uses. For e.g, when we use the computer for working or gaming, we have its direct uses; while using an ATM, we are actually making an indirect use of computer based technology. Computers, in general, are used in nearly all fields, today, like supermarkets, banks, etc. They have become an integral part of our lives.

Education

3.With the development of technology, we find that long gone are the days when we used notebooks to write down our research paper or actually used the library for research. Today, you simply need to 'Google' to find any information you want. Secondly, e-learning (e-classrooms) or distance learning with computers is the latest and most practical modes of education today. You can simply have anything on your own PC within a fraction of seconds. Right from elementary school students to PhD researchers, every educational system has been influenced by computers.

So how exactly do the Internet and computer technologies benefit students for education?

ü Students can be better prepared for the future technologies and it's easier to explain them several topics that are hard to be understood without 3-D images. We all know how learning about the depth of the Mariana Trench in geography class can be a little dowdy for young children. However, by introducing the audio-visual method of learning, computers have made education interesting. As communication systems enhance, education will change for better - computers will make our children more curious, knowing that the answers to their questions are at hand.

ü Online education has made learning easier and convenient for a large section of population. With this facility, you can take up short-term courses with the course material available online, learn and give exams. One of the benefits of online learning is that people from any part of the world can gain knowledge on different subjects, complete courses, etc. with the help of online learning.

ü Sometimes, encyclopedia may not always be available to students and they may have difficulty in gaining access to the books in the library. In that case, the encyclopedia of different subjects available on the Internet can be helpful. This is more useful for students who belong to communities not having English as their mother tongue. Kids and younger children can also be benefited by the Internet by using the pictures, videos, etc. which is one of the major advantages, when comparing textbooks versus computer teaching. Online encyclopedia has made researching and preparing documents simpler.

ü Students aware of computer uses have better chances of job opportunities as computers literacy is a need now. The computer education was never so important as it is in the present scenario.

ü Using computer aided facilities like PowerPoint presentation eases understanding of complex topics.

ü With all the creative software at hand, it has become easy for students to jazz up their assignments and projects; basically, assignments have become activities that students look forward to, from their earlier mundane form. From a higher perspective, the usage of computers in aiding learning is prominent in almost every field, from botanical sciences to fine arts. As the Internet is an ocean of information, covering nearly all subjects known to man, one can literally find information, research work, etc. required for one's projects. Going through the information on the Internet is definitely faster than reading an entire book on the subject. Homework is also made easier with the help of the Internet which is also one of the important uses of computers in education.

ü The Internet is now what once used to be the library. What's more, it is easier to access, along with being a convenient, relatively low-cost and fairly reliable source of information. With bulky computers now being popularly reduced to hand-held devices, students literally have information at their fingertips. Information can be updated or modified at any time and for any number of times, which helps in learning and better understanding. However, free knowledge that is easily available does have its pitfalls, but looking at the larger picture, it is definitely more beneficial.

ü Computers have more or less eliminated paperwork in the administration section of education. Thanks to websites, we can do away with printing brochures, application forms, admission and other administrative documents, resulting in procedures that are cost-effective and environment friendly. Tests have also become online, making assessment procedures easy for teachers and professors.

ü Students can contact other students or their teachers via the E-mail if they have queries about any information. Sharing of information, discussions on a particular subject, etc. can be easily carried out using the Internet. At the same time, teachers can also contact the parents and guardians easily using Internet.

ü All the latest news is constantly updated on the Internet on different news sites. Students learning politics can have an access to all the current affairs through the Internet in the school campus, at home, or at any other place. Historical accounts like speeches, biographies, etc. are also easily available on the Internet in detailed and accurate versions.

Accounts

4. Do you remember the last time you actually did maths using a pencil and paper, or even calculated your monthly expense using a calculator? This is because most of us use computers for our daily accounts. Keeping accounts using computers is not only feasible, but also more reliable and safer. You can have passwords; and also memory devices that can preserve large data for a really long time.

Data Storage

5.Talking about data storage, most of us have an enviable collection of music, movies, etc. on our PC. Storing and sharing of any kind of data is very easy and practical on computers. Secondly, storage options like the network-attached storage help in providing data access to a larger number of clients.

Working

6.Large number of people make use of computers for work purposes every day. Software engineers, writers, businessmen; employees in the field of telecommunication, banking, research, medicine, make use of computers daily. Secondly, telework or working from home is possible because of the PC. Therefore, we can say that the computer is also a source of income for a considerable number of people all over the world.

ð Medicine: The health care field has gone through a revolution after computers have been introduced in our society. Uses of computer in the medical field have been immense. Computers have been integrated with almost all medical technologies to improve accuracy in results.

· Big hospitals require computer systems to maintain database of patient records. This has lessened the burden of paper management.

· Some uses of computers in hospitals include maintaining staff attendance records, medical records recording of incoming and outgoing timings of staff, computerized accounting and managing records of patient and associated doctors.

· The use of computers in medicine has gained more significance as heartbeat rate, pulse rates all can be checked on special graphs on monitor screen.

· Internet technology has made it easier to exchange information, news and reports about latest medical development all across the globe.

· Medical imaging has grown to become an extremely important aspect of medical diagnosis. By using techniques to create body images of even the most complex structures in the body, scientists have made it easier to treat ailments.

· Web conferencing has made it easier for expert doctors sitting in some distant country to guide and instruct junior surgeons. More so, even while operation, many senior doctors can guide junior doctors. These are some of the amazing uses of computers in hospital set ups.

· All surgical procedures are recorded in small cameras (some even installed in the medical equipment) so that the process of surgery can be learned better and improved.

· Nowadays, even computer counseling is possible owing to extensive use of computers.

ð Business: The use of computers in business has grown by leaps and bound since the last few decades. Here are some of the benefits of computers in business field.

· Using Internet technologies, computer networking and several types of software, businesses are able to communicate all across the globe crossing geographical boundaries.

· Communication has taken a new role among partners, suppliers, consumers and they're able to keep a track of each other that facilitates the business process.

· Development of software like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions and Management Information Systems (MIS) has made it possible to centralize administrative features of a firm.

· Project management and other planning activities are easily designed by integrating latest software with computers. This decreases time on planning and figuring out certain complex issues.

· Seminars, conferences and meetings can be scheduled with bosses and big corporate giants through web conferencing that can be heard by all the employees simultaneously.

ð Science: One of the most important advantages of computers is in the field of science for research and development. The computers have played a major role in most of what we know about ourselves and the universe. The satellites, the telescopes and almost all the research tools make use of computers in some or the other way. The huge calculations required for space science, safe communication between scientists, storage of all the gathered information are some of the computer uses in science and technology.

ð Banking: The banking sector has improved on fronts such as security, ease of use, etc. with the help of computers. Most of the banking operations can be done online, known as Internet banking. You can withdraw money from ATMs and deposit money in any branch, thanks to the networking effected by the use of computers. The complete banking experience has also become more safe.

ð Crime Investigation: High-end computer devices have ensured that justice is more effective. CCTV cameras and other computer operated security systems have reduced the amount of crime. And if it still happens there are many ways to track down the criminal in no time. Forensic science employs computers for many of its operations related to investigations.

ð Defense: There is software embedded in almost every weapon. Software is used for controlling the flight and targeting in ballistic missiles. Software is used to control access to atomic bombs.

Entertainment

7.The field of entertainment has been revolutionized by computers. Animation, graphic image manipulation etc has made the entertainment experience hundred times better. Movie making, editing, music composition etc everything needs computers. It no longer costs thousands of dollars of equipment to compose music or make a film. Graphics engineers can use computers to generate short or full-length films or even to create 3D models. Anybody owning a computer can now enter the field of media production. Special effects in science-fiction and action movies are created using computers. One can book air tickets or railway tickets and make hotel reservations online. There are matrimonial sites through which one can search for a suitable groom or bride.