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

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Aug 10th, 12:00 AM

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