Global society and information technology - Social science challenges in the 21st century

Information technology will greatly influence the quality of life in the 21st century. The challenge is to use the technology to help overcome numerous global, regional, and local problems that threaten the quality of life. These problems include global overpopulation, intense and potentially socioeconomically destructive global economic competition, continued pressures on the global environment, increasing levels of regionalized armed conflicts, regional water shortages and other regional environmental problems, and local transportation congestion, poverty, crime, and drug abuse. Social scientists must become aggressively involved and accept leadership roles in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of computer-based systems that have broad social impact.