Technological Determinism — How Much Do We Really Rely on Technology?
Technological determinism says that a society’s technology drives the development of its social structure and cultural values. Basically, this is the idea that technology impacts every aspect of a society — socially and culturally. We live in a society driven by pop culture. Because we are naturally group-oriented, there is a constant desire to always be “a part of the group.” We want to be accepted and liked socially, and this causes us to stay glued to technology.
Think about the time when you got your first cellphone — whether it was an iPhone or a Motorola. I remember getting your first cellphone to be a BIG deal in middle school. Those who had one were the “cool kids” who could text each other even though they were sitting 2 feet away, they could call their crush late at night when they weren’t allowed to be out, and they could play games when they were bored just right there at their desk. This idea of quick, mass communication, being a trendy determinant of popularity is one part of what makes technology’s hold on society so tightly bound.
Social media has arguably been the biggest front-runner in this technological overrun. Have you ever watched that episode of Black Mirror, called Nosedive, where society is completely run by social media? Society members are able to rate each other, post content, and interact with each others posts at the click of a button. Your “ranking” on social media acts almost like your credit score — the kind of house you can have, the kind of job you can have, and the way you are treated by businesses and other people is all dependent on how others rank you on social. Whereas this is extreme, it hold great underlying meaning in how our society has become overrun by social media. There is this expectation now that we, as society members, have a certain image to uphold on social media. We gather most of our news, stay up to date on others lives, and communicate primarily through social media.
But technology goes beyond smart phones and social media. Think about your daily routine — how much of what you do utilizes technology? My technology usage starts at the very beginning of my day, as my phone is my alarm clock. How do you cook your food — do you use a microwave, toaster, or an oven? Where do you get your news? So few of us actually get a physical paper delivered to our homes anymore. I work for Attractions Magazine based out of Orlando, Florida, and we ave built up such a presence on social media and through our website and YouTube Channel that we are completely dropping our print issue altogether. When was the last time you sent a letter to someone? The only way we can communicate with someone who isn’t currently present with us is through technology, unless we sent a physical letter and even then that letter goes through a mail delivery system that uses multiple forms of technology to get it there.
All of that being said, there are some limitations to the technological determinism theory and its impact on society and cultural values. For example, because we live in a society where technology is all around us, it’s easy to think of this as a society norm. But there are civilizations around the world that aren’t aware of technology — as of 2013 there were estimated to be about 100 “uncontacted” tribes left in the world that have little-to-no awareness and usage of technology, as stated by Forbes.
There are also cultures where technology usage is frowned upon like Ohio’s Amish Country, where the Old Order Amish almost use no technology at all, and societies where technology usage is intentionally limited like the New Order Amish.
Also, the term “technology” is tricky — everyone has a different definition of technology. Going back to the beginning of civilization, any advancement in society could be considered a technological advancement, like the creation of a bow and arrow, or any sort of tool used to improve our way of life and ability to complete tasks.
I’m reminded of a trend that went through my area a few years back, where fellow college students made the switch from a smart phone to a flip phone. They did this in an attempt to limit their technology usage, distance themselves from social media, and focus more on other aspects of their lives. I think we all know that we spend an abundance of time on our phones, so we go through stages where we try a “digital detox” but usually end up going right back to our old habits even though we describe the detox experience as “amazing” or “eye-opening” or “freeing.” Do you ever check what your screen time was for the week on your phone? I know I get a notification about it every week, telling me what my average screen time was per day and how much it had gone up or gone down compared to the previous week.
McLuhan’s idea of technology and its hold on society and cultural norms is accurate and transcends limitations of time. Though what technology looks like may have changed and developed overtime, our reliance on it and its ability to advance society has not. But it is also important to point out that the theory is very generalized, and holds onto the cliche of all people being “glued to their phones and social media at all times.” Even with how technologically advanced the world is today, there are still individuals and societies that limited, reject, or are completely unaware of technology. I think it is useful to be aware of the effect technology has on our lives, and aware of our particular usage of it, without allowing the concept to steer us to use technology more or less. There are benefits to technological usage, just as there are benefits to limiting it at times.
References
Ohio’s Amish Country. (N.d.) Amish technology. Ohio’s Amish Country. https://ohiosamishcountry.com/articles/amish-technology#:~:text=Old%20Order%20Amish%20have%20little,and%20telephones%20in%20the%20home.
Forbes. (2016). Are there any uncontacted civilizations left in the world? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/11/28/are-there-any-uncontacted-civilizations-left-in-the-world/?sh=ab7d3102e8ba.
Weeby. (2016). Dit it all start with the wheel? Weebly. http://technologicaldeterminism.weebly.com/about-the-theory.html.
Heusner, M. (2020). Marketers must prepare for declining smart phone usage. Campaign US. https://www.campaignlive.com/article/marketers-prepare-declining-smart-phone-usage/1676396.
Kozlowski, M. (2019). Smartphone usage diminishes our ability to analyze and reason. GoodEReader. https://goodereader.com/blog/smartphones-2/smartphone-usage-diminishes-our-ability-to-analyze-and-reason.
Survival International. (2021). The Uncontacted Frontier. Survival International. https://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/amazonuncontactedfrontier.
