Introduction: Contradictions of ICT

This first chapter sets out the contradictory way in which Information Communication Technology (ICT) habitually fails to deliver on its promises despite its ability to enrich our lives. Author Mike Healy sets up two main contradictory views of on the theory of alienation. Marx’s understanding is that alienation derives directly from capitalism, whilst Seeman’s approach locates alienation as a specific instance, describing it as an abnormal response to life’s pressures. This chapter sets out the ethical and societal implications of the ICT industry, and inconsistences. The book’s overall plan is to address one simple question: what feeds the central contradiction where people experience ICT in a profoundly contradictory way? The book will argue that approaches such as a call for better technology, more effective end-user education, and greater regulation of the digital sphere, are inherently limited solutions.