Scratch that CS & DF Itch - IC

The Impacts of Computing standards promote an understanding of the evolving impact of computing technologies on society through many lenses, including personal, social, cultural, accessibility, legal, economic, and ethical.

Computing can change or reinforce cultural practices and equity within society. Human social structures that support education, work, and communities have been affected by the ease of communication facilitated by computing. Governments enact laws to influence the impact of computing technologies on society.

Computing is not done in a vacuum. The question of ethics in computing is for both creators and users of technology. If computer scientists and end users do not take into account biases and ethics of what has been built, algorithms and programs may have unintended impacts on societies.

The development and design of computing systems needs to take into account the needs and wants of diverse end users and purposefully consider potential perspectives of users with different backgrounds and ability levels. Identifying potential personal bias during the design and implementation process maximizes accessibility in product design, and awareness of professionally accepted accessibility standards helps to evaluate computational artifacts for accessibility.

The increased connectivity between people in different cultures and in different career fields has impacted the variety and types of careers that are possible. There are also many possible career paths within computer science itself, as well as different specialties within each field, that make computer science a broad and encompassing opportunity.

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