Is technology an independent entity that changes society, or is it driven by society’s needs?

Technology and society interact and evolve, and technology is researched and developed in response to the needs of society. Technological determinism and social constructionism do not fully explain the relationship between technology and society on their own.

 

We are currently living in the “information age”. In the 21st century, the development of computers and the widespread use of the internet have made it easier for people to access information anytime, anywhere. As Alvin Toffler predicted in his book The Third Wave, the information revolution is rapidly unfolding. As the information revolution has progressed, computers have become deeply embedded in our lives. We wake up in the morning, read articles on the Internet, and watch TV programs on DMB. Almost everything we do at work is done through computers, we learn at school through computers, and we send and receive money through the Internet. In addition, some people have brought communities that existed only offline online and actively interacted with them. Recently, with the development of communication technology and smartphones, we have entered the so-called “smart” era. Smartphones, smart refrigerators, smart cars, smart TVs, and other “smart” objects are now networked to exchange information. All of this has happened in just the last 20 to 30 years.
This rapid development of technology in recent years has been accompanied by a gradual transformation of our society. The development of computers has made it easier to store and share documents, photos, and other information, and our society has embraced computers, using them not only for personal tasks at home, but also for state administration and running companies. And with the proliferation of smartphones, many of the things we used to do with computers can now be done anywhere there is wireless communication. It’s like carrying a computer with you. The development of technology and the changes in society are inextricably linked, and some people have begun to propose theories about the relationship between technology and society. One such theory that has gained considerable support is technological determinism. Technological determinism is a theory that argues that “the properties of technology itself are neutral and develop according to an internal logic independent of society, and in this process, the logic and properties of technology become the primary drivers of social change. In other words, technology develops independently of social components and has a decisive impact on society. While the above examples of the proliferation of computers and smartphones seem to support the argument, technological determinism has several limitations.
First, technology does not develop independently of society and is selectively adopted by society. Technology is not a pure science. In the pure sciences, such as physics, chemistry, and biology, the purpose of research is to advance the discipline. They seek to understand the principles of nature in more detail. Pure sciences are interested in what makes up matter, or more specifically, how atoms are organized, or how planets revolve around the sun. They observed natural phenomena, questioned them, and sought to discover the truths behind them, regardless of the purpose for which their findings were used. Technology, which emerged after the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, is different from pure science. Technology is a practical discipline, a means to make human life more useful based on pure science. In other words, a technology does not change society just because it is developed, but is accepted by society only when the people who make up society find it useful. Therefore, in the process of researching and developing technologies, we always ask ourselves, “Does society need this technology?” and “Can society accept this technology? Developing a technology can cost hundreds of millions or even trillions of dollars. Therefore, if a technology is not needed by society, it cannot generate revenue even if it is developed, so the investment is low and it is difficult to develop. In addition, even if a more advanced technology is developed, it cannot be applied if the infrastructure is not built in society. For example, let’s say a technology is developed that can play high-definition video in real time on a smartphone. However, if the data transmission speed of the wireless communication network is slow, this technology will not be accepted by society. Or, even if the data transmission speed of wireless communication is fast enough to play high-definition video, if the cost of data communication is too expensive, people will not use real-time video playback technology. In this way, technology is often referred to as an “applied science” because it is developed in a way that is required and accepted by society, and it is developed for practical purposes.
Second, while technological advancement has a significant impact on social change, it does not mean that other factors can be ignored. In addition to technological advances, social production bases, social policies, etc. also have a significant impact on social change. As the example in the previous paragraph illustrates, different social bases of production diffuse technology at different rates, resulting in different degrees of social change. According to Internet World Stats, a site that reports on internet user statistics by country, the percentage of people using the internet by continent is the lowest in Africa (21.3%) and the highest in North America (84.9%). Despite having the same internet communication technology, different continents have different environments, such as economic levels, that cause differences in the speed of internet penetration. Naturally, there are social differences between Africa, where only 1 in 5 people have internet access, and North America, where 4 in 5 people have internet access. In addition, social policies are one of the factors that affect social change. Social policy determines the norms and even the direction of a society, and technology develops in a way that is desirable from a social policy perspective. Therefore, social policy also determines social change.
An alternative theory to technological determinism is social constructionism. Social constructionism argues that the development of technology is a social process that involves the political, economic, organizational, and cultural factors of society. This is a direct criticism of the core argument of technological determinism, which is that technology develops independently of society. In other words, technology develops within society and in the direction that society needs, and society plays a large role in the development of technology. However, social constructionism does not fully explain the evolution of technology. As we’ve argued, there are many factors that change society. Social institutions, the production base of a society, as well as the development of technology contribute to social change. However, the arguments of social constructionism alone do not explain the phenomenon of social change due to the development of technology.
Both technological determinism and social determinism are insufficient to explain the relationship between technology and society on their own. So how do technology and society relate to each other? Technology and society do not have a relationship where one determines the other. Technology and society interact with each other to develop. Technology is researched when society needs it, the social environment supports it, and the direction of the research is determined by the desirable direction of society. When these technologies are applied to society, society changes and organizes itself to accommodate them. This changed society will then require different technologies to meet its needs. As this process repeats ad infinitum, the developed technology receives feedback from society and improves further, and society changes.
It is true that technology has a significant impact on social change, as argued by technological determinism. However, it should not be overlooked that not only those who use technology, but also those who research and develop technology are human beings who are members of society. Even if technology develops independently of society, as technological determinism claims, if it does not fulfill the needs of the people who use it, it will not be accepted by society and the time and money invested in its development will be wasted. Technological determinism would recognize these limitations and guide technology to meet the needs of society.