INFORMATION SOCIETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract

The key objective of the Long -Term Development Strategy of the Republic of Lithuania, as formulated in this Strategy is to create an environment for the development of the state’s material and spiritual welfare that is generally described as knowledge-society, secure society and competetive society. While implementing these objectives it is crucial to do the best in order the country’s quality of life would rise.
Recently, in the European Union considerable attention has been devoted to the enhancement of social solidarity. An importance of social solidarity has already been emphasized in the Lisbon Strategy. If there is no social solidarity, the fields of social tension inevitably occur. Quality of life makes a rather considerable influence on the assurance of social solidarity.
Consequently, an investigation of the quality of life proves to be an unquestionably topical issue.
The quality of life to a large extent depends on the country’s economical and social state. Nevertheless, at the current societal development stage, it also depends on the implementation and mastering of the new technologies, information and knowledge society development. Modern information and communication technologies and, first of all, the global computer network Internet has created preconditions and conditions to establish the information society. Further development of information and communication technologies is unquestionably directly affecting the development of information society, and at the same time makes a considerable contribution to the development of the country’s or region’s economy, is directly making a strong impact on it. At the same time it is also indirectly affecting the quality of life.
This paper aims at analysing of the indices that characterise the quality of life and the indices that characterise the development of information society – for Lithuania and separate countries of various development level. At the same token, dynamics of these indices, their objective growth for Lithuania and objective dynamics for some chosen countries should be highlighted.