So, it has happened! The beginning of the third millennium in the Western Common Era calendar has already come and gone! The twenty-first century is here! How do you like being a son or daughter of the third millennium, or a citizen in the twenty-first century? Are you having fun yet? What do you think about the advantages and disadvantages of the developments of science and technology in the twenty-first century?
Chinese media recently have identified four stages of media and information technology development: 1. print media, 2. radio, 3. television, and 4. the Internet. There is actually a significant fifth stage already here, wireless media, which will soon dwarf all the others in terms of technological developments. China has more than 2000 newspapers, 8000 magazines, and dozens of radio and television stations. More than 27 million Chinese were using the Internet in 2001 and this number may expand to 200 million within a four-year period. 132 million Chinese were using mobile phones in 2001, already the largest amount in the world. Information technology is likely to result in the most important scientific and technological developments in what we might call the "digital decade." But before we take a breath in understanding this term, we realize that we face today not only the "digital decade," but also "the wireless revolution".
Part of becoming more and more a part of the global community means that China will have the opportunity to assist in developing this extraordinary new scientific and technological revolution which is sweeping the world. At the same time, however, both in China and more broadly, "the digital and wireless divide" means that there are more and more members of the world community whose lives have neither been touched by digital nor wireless technology. It is a great challenge for young and well educated Chinese to bring all segments of Chinese society to the best features of the digital decade and the wireless revolution in the best way possible.