Impacts of computing and responsible use
Aligned to CSTA-IC — CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Computing changes daily life, jobs, and society in ways that can be helpful and harmful at the same time. Issues like the digital divide (when some people lack access to devices or internet), screen time, and how technology reflects the values of its makers all matter. Thinking about who benefits and who might be harmed helps you make intentional choices and design responsibly.
Worked example
A new app makes it easy to order groceries, which helps busy families. But people without a smartphone or internet cannot use it, so a store that only takes app orders could leave some neighbors out.
Practice questions
- What is the digital divide?
- Name one benefit and one possible harm of a popular technology.
- When a new tool is built, why does it matter who might be left out?
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Impactos de la tecnología y uso responsable
La tecnología cambia la vida diaria, los empleos y la sociedad de formas que pueden ser útiles y dañinas al mismo tiempo. Temas como la brecha digital (cuando algunas personas no tienen acceso a dispositivos o internet), el tiempo frente a pantallas y cómo la tecnología refleja los valores de quienes la crean, son asuntos importantes. Pensar en quién se beneficia y quién podría resultar perjudicado te ayuda a tomar decisiones conscientes y a diseñar de forma responsable.
Ejemplo: Una nueva aplicación facilita pedir el súper a domicilio, lo que ayuda a las familias ocupadas. Pero las personas sin smartphone o sin internet no pueden usarla, así que una tienda que solo acepta pedidos por app podría dejar fuera a algunos vecinos.
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