Digital technologies have both upsides and downsides that depend on how people use them. The document outlines key statistics on technology usage and discusses challenges for policymakers in promoting the upsides of technologies like remote learning, e-health, and smart grids while safeguarding against downsides such as hacking, data theft, and cyberattacks. Specific sectors discussed include education, health, and energy, with education noting benefits of interactive tools but also risks of plagiarism, and health highlighting uses for electronic records and remote care but also needs for data security and responsive systems.

1. The Upsides and Downsides to Digital
Technologies
Phillippa Biggs
World Bank MOOC

2. Key Telecom/ICT Stats 2017
• 7.74 bn mobile cellular subscriptions
• 5.1 bn unique Mobile subscribers
• 4.22 bn mobile broadband subscriptions
• 0.98 bn fixed broadband subscribers
• 3.58 bn total Internet users
• 2.07 bn Facebook MAU (Q3 2017)

3. Technologies are neither
good nor bad…
Their impact depends on the
use people make of them!

4. Challenges facing Policy-Makers
Promote
Upsides
-Remote
learning
-E-health
-E-Gov’t
-Smart
grids/cities
Safeguards
against
downsides
-Hacking
-Data/ID
theft
-Cyber-
attacks

5. Education Services
Upsides
-Interactive
drills & practice
-Research
-Collaborative
projects
-Remote
learning
Downsides
-Bans on
phones in
schools
-Plagiarism &
copy/paste,
not learning
-Resistance
by parents &
teachers

6. Health Sector
Upsides
-eHealth
-EHRs & data sharing
-Data analysis
-Remote diagnosis &
consultations
-Smart hospitals
Downsides
- Data
confidentiality
- Wastage
- Big budgets
- Complex
systems, not
responsive to
medical/patie
nts’ needs

7. Energy Sector
Upsides
-Smart systems
may be more
energy-efficient
-Can reduce
carbon emissions
-Better use of
energy across
economy
Downsides
-Vulnerable to
cyber-attack
-Data theft

8. Thank you