The Linked World: How ICT is Transforming Societies, Cultures and Economies

The Linked World: How ICT Is Transforming Societies, Cultures, and Economies is based on a two-year global research project with the Telefónica Foundation. It aggregates several studies on how information and communication technology (ICT) has affected societies, economies, cultural relationships, and human interaction.

The Telefónica Foundation agreed in 2008 to underwrite the study of ICT and the dynamic changes it has both undergone and spurred in the past few decades. Specifically, this report and the accompanying book, which does so in more detail, explores the effects of ICT on government services, health care, interpersonal communication, education, and social activism.

This project builds on previous work by The Conference Board on the impact of ICT on economic performance. The purpose of The Linked World: How ICT Is Transforming Societies, Cultures, and Economies is to take stock of our knowledge of the impact of ICT and what businesses, governments, and other organizations can do to help drive and maximize the next wave of benefits that ICT will bring.