These different types of technological determinism are evident in several recurring themes that reflect the ways that we think about technologies.
Utopian visions imagine a world that is improved by technology. Technologies are seen as natural developments that improve our daily lives or transform reality for the better. Think about the promise of social networks like Facebook in bringing together friends and families. They help us stay in touch with our loved ones, even if we live far away from one another.
The flipside of these approaches are the dystopian visions of a world made much worse by technology. They include our fears of losing control, of becoming dependent on technologies, and of being unable to stop change. Technologies are seen as agents of doom, as ways to control the masses, or as malevolent tricksters.
Think back to our example of Facebook. Even as it brings us together, social media can also pull us apart. The rise of online bullying offers one example. It demonstrates some of the negative effects of technologies like Facebook. Importantly, it is not the ONLY effect. Just as Facebook can be used to ruin relationships, it can also nurture and sustain them.
Sherry Turkle’s TED talk on being ‘alone together’ explores some of these issues. Turkle is a Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT.
(From TEDxUIUC 2011 on Feb. 19, 2011 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)