d have been impossible prior to the growth of computer technology.
Mandell and Mandell (1989) note that in current American society there is virtually no organization or field without computers and that they have some very special functions in education. As the authors put it, the educational system uses computers to handle its business functions, and to train and educate both students and teachers (e.g. inservice training).
As to how this current proliferation of computer technology is going to affect society by the year 2000, Vander Zanden (1990) reports that computer technology is shifting the entire structure of society from an industrial to an information based society and from a national to a global economy. This shift, Vander Zanden states, will manifest itself in several subtle and not so subtle changes.
First, by the year 2,000 computers will become smaller, faster, cheaper, capable of doing more functions, and increasingly accessible to society. Second, by affording politicians and legislators as well as others quick access to wide ranges of information, the technology will afford a new source of power.
Third, as more people begin to communicate with others via computers (E-mail) rather than through face-to-face or telephone communications, relationships can be affected and altered. This is a possibility because studies have shown that those communicating through computers relate differently than through other means. For example, Schwartz (1988) reports that people forming relationships through computers tend to be less likely to hold back strong feelings, more likely to swear, insult, or communicate abruptly and less self-conscious.
Benefits, Problems, and Solutions. How will these changes benefit people and what problems might they cause? As noted by Ferris (1988), there are some clear benefits associated with the growth, develop
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