Description
Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been found to improve national well-being. However, nations differ in their norms and laws regarding freedom of expression and access to information. It is the objective of this study to examine how a country’s laws and norms regarding freedom of expression and access to information moderate the effect of level of ICT use on national well-being. Prior research shows that ICTs improve national well-being by allowing citizens to more easily create and use social capital, granting access to education and healthcare, and giving marginalized groups a chance at social inclusion. The ability of ICTs to facilitate these positive outcomes may be affected by legal and cultural norms about speech and information access. Keywords: National well-being, ICT policy, ICT use, Social Inclusion, Censorship, Human Rights
Recommended Citation
Booth, Ruby E., "The Effect of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information on the Relationship between ICTs and the Well-being of Nations" (2017). AMCIS 2017 Proceedings. 9.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2017/SocialTechincal/Presentations/9
The Effect of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information on the Relationship between ICTs and the Well-being of Nations
Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been found to improve national well-being. However, nations differ in their norms and laws regarding freedom of expression and access to information. It is the objective of this study to examine how a country’s laws and norms regarding freedom of expression and access to information moderate the effect of level of ICT use on national well-being. Prior research shows that ICTs improve national well-being by allowing citizens to more easily create and use social capital, granting access to education and healthcare, and giving marginalized groups a chance at social inclusion. The ability of ICTs to facilitate these positive outcomes may be affected by legal and cultural norms about speech and information access. Keywords: National well-being, ICT policy, ICT use, Social Inclusion, Censorship, Human Rights