POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF DIGITALIZATION

An important technical advancement is digitization. It significantly altered many aspects of people’s lives and daily activities. Using digital technology, it is now feasible to automate a variety of tasks that formerly needed a lot of time and money. Additionally, it opens the door for the creation of new inventions and technology. This covers topics like blockchain, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, among others. Additionally, new company models are developed and more prospects for entrepreneurship are made possible by digital tools and platforms. Digital technologies are being aggressively incorporated into educational institutions in Kazakhstan. This covers the establishment of electronic platforms for distant learning, the usage of electronic document management and education management systems, and the production of electronic learning materials. Kazakhstan supports the growth of the digital economy’s infrastructure, including the development of electronic marketplaces, electronic payment systems, and e-commerce. There are both advantages and disadvantages to the integration of digital technology into different facets of society and business. 

The digitization of libraries happens in phases, including:

1. Paper documents are scanned using specialized scanners that provide pictures of excellent quality. Duplex scanners are often used to save and digitize papers on both sides;

2. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology is used to transform the text image into an electronic format once photos have been scanned. OCR software creates a text document by automatically identifying the characters in an image;

3. Editing and proofreading are necessary since OCR findings might be inaccurate. As a result, they need editing and proofreading to guarantee that the language is very accurate and of the highest caliber. This stage might entail manually revising the content or using specialized tools to catch problems automatically;

4. Indexing and metadata. To make it simpler to identify and arrange digitized content, an index comprising details about each document, including title, author, year of publication, and other metadata, is produced. Users may effectively search for and filter material thanks to this;

5. Storage and access: Digitized materials can be stored electronically on servers or in the cloud. Users can access these materials through online databases, library catalogs or dedicated digital library platforms. 

We can mention several ways that digitalization might benefit the environment include:

1. Cutting back on paper usage: the conversion to electronic document formats and digitization of libraries will lessen the demand for printing and paper consumption. As a result, fewer trees are felled and there is less greenhouse gas emissions produced during the production of paper. There are a number of ways that digital technology can minimize the consumption of paper:

Email and electronic documents: people may share messages and documents using email rather than printing and mailing physical mail. Without printing them on paper, documents may be generated, shared, and saved electronically.

E-books and magazines: people can use e-books (e-readers, tablets, smartphones), or electronic versions of periodicals, in place of purchasing and reading physical books and magazines. This will lessen the demand for printed materials and promote forest preservation.

2. Savings on energy: unlike traditional paper materials, digital papers and resources do not need physical space for storage or movement. This lessens the need for operations that use a lot of energy to produce, package, and transport printed materials.

3. Reduce water and air pollution: the production of paper and inks requires the usage of harmful chemicals. By eliminating the need for these procedures, digitalization will contribute to a decrease in the amount of pollutants released into the air and water.

4. Removing physical waste. Books and periodicals printed on paper have a finite shelf life and deteriorate over time, necessitating replacement and disposal. Materials in electronic format may be kept and utilized for a long time without physical deterioration, which lowers the amount of trash produced.

People’s reliance on technology grows as society becomes more digitally. Digital devices and the Internet are becoming more and more important in many parts of our everyday lives, including communication, work, and pleasure. Society becomes more susceptible to disruptions brought on by technological errors, power outages, or cyber-attacks as a result of its reliance on digital systems and technology. When mission-critical services, vital infrastructure, or communication lines fail, there might be significant repercussions.

The Internet and digital technology are not accessible to everyone, either. Between various demographic groupings, particularly between urban and rural regions and between developed and developing nations, there is a digital gap. As a result, possibilities are reduced for individuals without access to digital resources and inequities are exacerbated.

PhD Madiev Sansyzbai Sharapievich

Senior lecturer Turgunbayev Izbassar Yerlanuly

                                                             Master’s student Satybaldy Aizada

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University