Is technology going to become societies dictator? As technology has improved society has in turn changed. I remember only about 12 years ago when only the suits and rich owned cellphones ( remember they looked like bricks). Today if someone asks you for your cell number and your reply is “Oh nah, sorry I don’t have one”, people usually look at you bemused thinking what planet does this guy live on. Trust me it was only six months ago that I got my phone and I used to get that look all the time. What I realised was that technology has improved and in doing so means of communication are more readily accessible. This means we should take advantage of it, right? What I think everyone can notice is that whether consciously or not we all network a lot more that we used to. Technology and society are now changing so rapidly that if you don’t get yourself in the mix of this techno rat race you can very quickly find yourself left out of the mix entirely. So who’ s in control here? Are we living in a world where we need to stay in this techno rat race to form some identity of ourselves? I don’t think it is as serious as that but if we all look at how our lives have changed in the past ten years do you think you could have imagined you would own a cell phone, the Internet would be your main source of information, and even a way to meet and socialise with people?
Technological dictator
Advertisement
This entry was posted in network culture, technology dictator, technology society. Bookmark the permalink.
I find this blog an interesting read as this course has got me thinking the exact same things. At the moment the ways that things seem to be shaping up, technology does seem to be societies dictator.
If you look at the invention of the cell phone, these days it seems that many people can’t get on without a cell phone because they have become such a huge part of our lives. If i go to uni for the day and i accidently leave my cellphone behind, its a right pain in the arse simply because i use it so often in my everyday life…not only is it an essential form of communication but i have also started using my cell as an organiser, i write memos to myself, use it as an alarm etc etc.
So it feels that without my fone i’m abit lost. Then if i think back to years ago when cellphones werent even around, people got on perfectly fine without them. I think it is just that the new technologies have dictated the way in which i organise my life
Dicatate is such a strong word… I think perhaps it seems that way because the consequences that arrise from us choosing not to use the technology seem so severe. I cannot refuse to involve myself in technology if I wish to learn in this course, at any educational institution for that matter. So my ability to chose not to use technology is limited by my desire to learn and my need to earn money in the future. Yet, at the extreme end, I could choose a different way, so dictate seems a little harsh.
But, we can still choose which technology we use, at least sometimes. I do have a cell phone, which I bought I guess a couple years ago. Egads, no camera! Do I need a phone with a camera? No. In fact, I could throw the phone away and not even miss it; I seldom carry it with me, and if someone texts me it might be a week before I look at messages and reply to it. I could, I suppose, get quite caught up in having to have a phone with me all the time, but I am glad that so far I have avoided that trap.
I do, unfortunately, have a work cell phone which I am supposed to take with me at all times when on duty. I often ‘forget’ and leave it in the car, or at home, and it’s so common that people don’t even question it anymore.
I agree that it is very convenient to be able to call someone when out and about, but I only ever do so if I am going to attempt to meet them somewhere and it was not arranged earlier.
I do remember my sister, though, when she got her first cell phone. I mean, the DAY she got her cell phone, we went rollerskating. She wouldn’t leave her phone in the car, or on the table, because someone might call her. She’d given her number to like two people, and it wasn’t likely either of them was going to call her with any news that couldn’t wait until she’d finished rollerskating, and yet she had to have that phone clipped to her waist. I can’t understand that.
So, this one bit of technology has not driven me, not really, outside of work, and not even then, in my opinion.
I also have not yet succumbed to iPods or the like, or a Blueberry (Blackberry?), or portable hard drives (pen drives?), and I really wouldn’t even know where to start a conversation about them.
I *do* like digital cameras, although I still have to have photos printed to fully enjoy them.
So, I guess my point is that we still can pick and choose. Noone is forcing us to buy the latest cell phone. A watch is still a good enough organiser, a pad of paper and a pen will get you a passing grade if you’re a good note-taker, and a landline will still connect you with everyone that a cell phone will.
very interesting points of view from various individuals, but i would have to agree that technology is dictating our society, but not necessarily all of us. I think its mostly affecting the younger generation, with pressures from ads to television to magazines to friends etc.. to stay “cool” or “trendy” by having the latest gadgets from cellphones to the ipod to laptops to even internet access on cellphones. I do admit that I am one of these people sucked in by technology, i have a cellphone which at times i am embarassed to admit i place under my pillow at night (!). if i forget my phone at home then its a disaster, not necessarily because i’m afraid that people cant reach me, but for pleasure – its fun to get out your cell and start texting, or playing games, or listening to music. I guess what i’m trying to get at is that as hard as it is to admit technology has had a huge effect on each one of us, i think where the choice is is dependant on how much we let that technology dictates our lifestyles and the choices we make in regards to it. This poses a question, “is technology an agent or are we agents when it comes to technology?”
That’s the question. I think you raised good points that are related to Beth’s points. There are varying levels of pressure on individuals to be involved in technology. It is the same with anything in life. Network theory and critical mass theory of social movements both suggest that it is our network of friends and acquaintances that have a great effect on whether we take part in collective behaviour. Thus, for me, I feel absolutely no pressure to have a mobile phone because I know few people with them. But Nal would be in a different network populated possibly by a greater portion of people with mobile phones and be subjected to different pressures. Though at the center is still a decision to have, or not have a mobile phone. I think that is where instrumentalist theory falls short. A stronger argument can be made for instrumentalism where, as in Beth’s case, an external power is imposing the requirement to have technology on you. There the choice not to have technology is more daunting.
Walkars last comment was really interesting. When we look at our network of friends we generally do find that we align ourselves with people who have similar interests. So, if all of my friends have a cell phone then there is a good chance that I will have one as well.
As I mentioned in my original post I only bouhght a cell phone about six months ago and that was because I need to be available for my job. I don’t really want a cell phone but what choice do I have? If I didn’t have one I’m sure I would find that a lot of people would be angry that they couldn’t reach me.
Poeple were able to do my job easily enough when cell phones weren’t around. So why is it then that now that better technology exists I need to have it do my job properly? I think Walkar made a really good comment where he suggested an external power is imposing the requirement to have technology on us.