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Letter from the President |
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AIMing for a positive IT future – Kandace R. Miller, President/CEO, AIM Institute
There is no question technology is a remarkable force in society that creates a number of positive societal tendencies.
Increased productivity, enhanced collaboration and newfound outlets for creative thinking are just a few examples of the positive impact technology has had on individuals and within organizations.
Have you ever wondered if there is a negative side to it all?
Sir Issac Newton, so very many years ago, published his Third Law of Motion, one stating that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Over 300 years later, Newton ’s law can be applied to our modern, technologically advanced society. The action of all of the technological good is balanced with an often overlooked negative reaction.
While researching my doctoral dissertation, titled Progressive and Regressive Aspects of Information Technology in Society: A Third Sector Perspective, I found there are regressive tendencies related to technology that go largely unaddressed – such as social detachment, conflict escalation and loss of organizational control. These issues are especially relevant to our blossoming youth culture, one inundated with technology, information and choices. Unfortunately, these youth quickly become too dependant on technology, lacking the motivation, education and awareness to harness all the good that can come from becoming producers of technology. How can we break this cycle? How can we turn users into producers?
This is what weighs on my mind as AIM enters another year.
As I build upon the research I conducted while earning a PhD in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service, we at AIM hope to explore the impact of our mission on societal values to help organizations and individuals of all ages learn how to leverage the best that technology has to offer while mitigating the negative aspects.
In addition, AIM will continue to work with our friends and partners around the region to build a strong IT workforce. Our Careerlink.com recruitment web site, our youth development programs , our information technology training , our research initiatives , and our forums featuring top technology-trend forecasters all serve to further our mission to empower communities, organizations and individuals through technology.
If you are not already, I hope you will consider becoming an AIM member to support these important initiatives, for it is only by working together that we can ensure our region’s continued success in this global economy.
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