Technological Determinism

Technological determinism theorizes that technology shapes society. According to Smith, "This belief affirms that changes in technology exert a greater influence on societies and their processes than any other factor" (2). This idea means that technology, rather than those that control it, is in charge of shaping society (Baym p. 24).

Media choice relates to technological determinism, but in this idea, people supposedly make rational choices about the media they use for different purposes (Baym, 2010, p.27).

Against Technological Determinism

Bauman and Lyon (2013) quote the ad agency Deutsch LA which observed, "The Internet doesn't steal our humanity, it reflects it. The Internet doesn't get inside us, it shows what's inside us" (p. 25).

“Networks have structures, and structures influence the way individuals and networks behave” (p. 191).

Surveillance

Jansson and Christensen (2014) remind us that surveillance tech didn't come out of nowhere. There is an often neglected history to these technologies, and it should be situated in "relation to the political, cultural and social environments" (p. 3).

References:

Jansson, A.,& Christensen, M. (2014). Media, surveillance and identity: Social perspective. New York: Peter Lang.

Bauman, Z. & Lyon, D. (2013). Liquid surveillance. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Baym, N.K. (2010). Personal Connections in the Digital Age. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

Rheingold, H. (2012). Net Smart : How to Thrive Online. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press.

Smith, Merritt Roe. "Technological Determinism in American Culture." Does Technology Drive History? : The Dilemma of Technological Determinism. ed. Merritt Roe Smith and Leo Marx. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1994. Netlibrary. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.