Any project involving the adoption of ICTs should be extremely sensitive to the actual environment in which they will be used, as opposed to the idealized image of that environment sometimes created by visionary designers.
ICTs can lead to frustration, social alienation, and wasted time, or they can serve as a powerful resource for personal and social growth. This is just as true in an organization as in the home. In either case, technology must be understood as embedded in a social context. Before introducing a new document management system into an organization, for example, one should first understand how its staff currently interact. Similarly, when introducing a new ICT into the home, one should be sensitive to how this might affect family life. If the ICT is to be used by children, this could involve placing it in a physical location that allows for supervision by responsible adults.
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