In this blog post, we will look at the interaction between technology and society through various theories and real-life examples of whether technology develops in response to the needs of society or whether it is the driving force behind social change.
We are currently living in the “information age.”
With the development of computers and the widespread use of the Internet in the 21st century, people can easily access information anytime, anywhere. As Alvin Toffler predicted in his book The Third Wave, the information revolution is rapidly taking place. As the information revolution progresses, computers and the Internet have become deeply embedded in our lives. People wake up in the morning, read articles on the Internet, watch TV programs on DMB, and almost everything in the company is done through computers and networks. School classes are also conducted on computers, and financial transactions can be made online. People are also actively communicating by moving communities from offline to online.
Recently, with the development of communication technology and the widespread use of smartphones, the so-called “smart” era has arrived. Smart devices such as smartphones, smart refrigerators, smart cars, and smart TVs are exchanging information and interacting through networks, providing practical convenience in our daily lives. These changes have made things possible that were unimaginable in the past. The fact that these changes have taken place in just 20 to 30 years shows how fast and powerful technological development is.
As the pace of technological development accelerates, social changes are also accelerating. The development of computers has greatly increased work efficiency by making it easy to store and share information such as documents and photos. Society now uses computers and networks as essential tools not only for personal needs but also for administrative processing and business operations. In particular, since the spread of smartphones, people can search for information, communicate, and handle work anywhere as long as they have wireless internet. It has become a reality to live as if you are carrying a computer in your hand.
Interaction between technology and society: technological determinism vs social constructionism
As such, the development of technology and the changes in society are inseparable, and some people have begun to argue various theories about the relationship between “technology” and “society.” The most notable theory among them is “technological determinism.” “Technological determinism” claims that technology develops independently and becomes the main driving force behind social change. In other words, technology develops independently of the components of society, and as a result, it has a decisive impact on society.
For example, the rapid spread of computers and smartphones seems to be somewhat true to ‘technological determinism.’ This is because new technologies have penetrated into our daily lives and caused many changes. However, this argument has several limitations. First, technology does not develop independently of society, and is selectively adopted when society needs it. Unlike pure science, technology is a discipline that is studied for practical purposes and is expected to be useful in human life. Even if technology is developed, it is only adopted when it meets the needs of society, so the process of technology adoption cannot be fully explained by the “technological determinism” perspective alone.
Second, technological, economic, social, and policy factors play an important role in social change. As mentioned earlier, the reason why the percentage of Internet users on each continent is different is due to differences in economic levels and infrastructure. According to Internet World Stats, the percentage of Internet users in the African continent is low at 21.3%, while it is 84.9% in North America. This means that the rate of diffusion of the same technology varies depending on the economic and social conditions of each region, and it can also be a factor that creates social disparities.
Social constructionism: The social background and interaction of technology
Another theory that counters ‘technological determinism’ is ‘social constructionism’. ‘Social constructionism’ explains that technology develops in conjunction with the political, economic, and cultural needs of society. This theory holds the view that the direction of technological development is determined by society. In other words, technological development is not independent, but is adjusted by society’s needs and is tailored to the expectations and demands of society’s members.
However, “social constructionism” also has limitations in explaining the development of all technologies. Some technologies are developed even when society does not actively feel the need for them, and then social demand for them arises. For example, the Internet, which was initially developed for limited research purposes, has become an essential infrastructure for society as a whole over time. The way in which technology and society interact and develop cannot be explained simply by either “technological determinism” or “social constructionism.”
Interaction between technology and society
In conclusion, technology and society are not in a relationship where one completely determines the other, but they evolve by influencing and being influenced by each other. Technology is developed in response to the needs of society, and these technologies are then applied to society, changing the structure and way of life of society. This is a kind of circular structure, in which changes in society require technological development, and the development of technology leads to new changes in society, and so on.
This is also why it is difficult for “technological determinism” and “social constructionism” to explain technology and society independently. While it is true that technology affects society, it is humans, the members of society, who research and develop that technology. Human desires and needs determine the direction of technological development, and these technologies in turn induce social change. It is important to understand that technology and society are not simply a relationship in which one side changes the other, but a mutually beneficial relationship in which they interact and develop together.
In this kind of interaction, technology not only makes people’s lives more convenient, but also brings about profound changes in various areas such as economic structure, jobs, education, and culture. Technology will continue to develop rapidly in our society, and our lives will also undergo new changes as a result.
