What is digital technology?

Digital technologies are electronic systems and resources that help us learn, communicate, play and more.

Examples of digital technologies include:

computers
smartphones
smart TVs
online games
video on demand websites
traffic lights and pedestrian crossings
automatic doors

What is a computer?

A computer is a type of machine. It doesn't have a brain like us and it can't think or have ideas, but it can follow stored instructions and do lots of useful things.

There are computers everywhere. At the doctor's, in the supermarket, even in cars.

How is digital technology used in everyday places?

Household appliances

Computer programs are used to control many household appliances we use everyday, such as:

washing machines
microwaves
fridge freezers
games consoles

Automatic doors

Automatic doors use a computer program.

When they see someone is near, they open. They only close if there is nobody nearby.

Cash machine

A cash machine runs a computer program that lets people make choices about their money.

When they ask for some money, it checks if there is enough in their account. If there is enough, the machine will give out the money.

Traffic lights

A computer program tells the traffic lights when to change from red to green.

When you push the button at a crossing, it tells the computer you want to cross.

It will tell the cars to stop with a red light and then turn the pedestrian crossing light green.

At some crossings, the computer may also play a sound or activate a physical sensor to assist people who may have visual or hearing impairments cross the road safely.

Smartphones

Smartphones use computer programs to make them work.

The computer programs let you choose between a variety of apps, including a camera or music app.

You can also use a smartphone to send and receive messages or phone calls.

How can digital technology help you learn?

Computers can help us learn in many different ways.

We can use them in class or at home to:

find things out by looking on the web
write a story and draw a picture
do maths online
make charts and graphs
make music and record people playing songs
take photographs
read an e-book
watch videos

We can also try coding and making our own computer game.

Can you think of anything else?

How do people use digital technology at work?

Computers can help us do things quickly, save information and keep in touch.

People use computers in lots of different ways, to do many different types of jobs. They are used in places like shops, factories, offices and hospitals.

Take a look at how people use computers in different places.

Library

The librarian uses a computer to know exactly where the books are.

When you borrow a library book, a computer scans the book and your library card.

The computer remembers who has the book and when it will be returned.

Hospital

Hospital staff use machines with computers inside to check patients' health.

They also use computers to store information about their treatment, see when the patient might have been ill before or find out what medicines the patient might be taking.

Shops

Shops use computers at their checkouts. The tills use computers to scan the things you want to buy. They add it all up and work out how much change to give you.

Glossary

Here's some meaning of important words:

Computer A device that can follow instructions stored in its memory.
Computer program A list of instructions a computer can understand.
Digital device A machine that has a computer inside.
Web short for WWW or the world wide web, a library of websites.

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