Chapter 13: Technology and Media in Everyday Life
The Middletown Media Studies discovered that people actually spend twice the amount of time using
the media than they believe. These studies also established that people do not use media in isolation
but often use two or more media systems simultaneously, an activity referred to as concurrent media
use. The average amount of time spent using media daily found in studies was nearly 11 hours.
Focusing only on teenagers, the median number of texts sent each day is 60, with 18% of teenagers
sending over 200 text messages daily. Adults send fewer texts on average than teenagers. However,
the frequency of adult texting is rising, and current teenagers will soon become adults and bring
many of their texting habits with them.
While the sheer amount of time spent using technology and media is reason enough for their
importance as an area of study, perhaps more significant is the impact of technology and media on
relationships and the impact of relationships on the use of technology and media. Technology and
media use at home frequently occurs in the presence family members, close friends, and romantic
partners, while technology and media use outside the home often occurs with those with whom you
share more social relationships, such as classmates, coworkers, acquaintances, and even strangers.
The use of technology and media takes place in the context of relationships, and our knowledge of
technology and media can be best developed through a relational perspective and by examining their
use in everyday life.
Perceptions of Technology and Media
A person’s perspective will influence how something is understood and how it is studied.
CAVE DRAWINGS AND OTHER CONCERNS
When a new technology is introduced in a society, it is generally framed both as something that will
save the world and as something that is intrusive and threatening. It also tends to be evaluated
according to standards and criteria associated with previously existing technology rather than being
studied and evaluated according to its own unique standards and norms. More often than not,
technological fears are more common than technological praises.
The emerge of any new communication of any new communication technology has historically
elicited choruses of concern and anxiety, surprisingly similar in nature. People tend to worry about
the effect of emerging technologies on family, community, and, of course, children. While no
evidence exists, we imagine focus groups were developed by well-meaning cave people to examine
the potentially negative impact of cave drawings on innocent and susceptible cave children.
Documented criticism of more recent technologies shows people expressed similar fears when radio
began appearing in homes in the 1920s, and these fears were nearly identical to those expressed
about television when it began appearing in homes in the 1950s. Comic books were going to turn
children into criminals, and video games were going to rot their brains. The Internet was going to
destroy society by isolating people. Many of these criticisms are still being expressed, even though
most have been proven wrong. In some cases, such as with concerns that the Internet would lead to
isolation, the exact opposite has actually taken place.
1
, EVERY TECHNOLOGY IS RELATIONAL
Technologies do influence the world in which you live. Regardless of whether its influences are
positive or negative, each technology changes how people communicate and interact. The one
constant among all technologies, from cave drawings to the Internet to whatever technologies arise
next, that they are inherently relational in their understanding and use.
At the center of all criticism and even praise of technologies rest their influence and effect on social
interaction and connections among people. This influences is probably why criticism and praise
surroundings each emerging technology have sounded so similar; relationships among people have
been the one constant throughout all human technological development. Adapted to accomplish and
meet relational needs, all technologies have influenced how you interact and relate with others.
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY
So, technologies do influence your world, and this influence is especially evident when it comes to
relationships. However, a question arises as to whether technologies are impacting humans or
humans are impacting technologies. The answer is both. There are three primary views associated
with the impact of technology.
TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
Technological determinism is the belief that technologies determine social structure, cultural values,
and even how we think. People are essentially viewed as powerless against the force of technology.
People viewing technologies as deterministic are the same people most likely to evaluate emerging
technologies with fear and suspicion.
Somewhat related to technological determinism is the belief that people are powerless against media
content. Of course, people are not passive consumers of media. Rather, they actively interpret and
evaluate media in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons.
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF TECHNOLOGY
Social construction of technology is the belief that people determine the development of technology
and ultimately determine social structure and cultural value. The social constructionist view of
technology reminds us that there are many factors in the development and emergence of
technologies beyond the technology itself. These factors include human innovation and creativity,
economics, government regulation, and actual users of technology. Ultimately, actual users exert
tremendous influence on the development of any technology, determining its use, development, and
place within society.
SOCIAL SHAPING OF TECHNOLOGY
Social shaping of technology is the belief that both people and technologies exert influence on social
structure and cultural values. Many factors determine the development and emergence of
technologies, including characteristics of the technology itself.
So, social shaping of technology views both humans and technology as responsible for what happens
in the world. It was discovered that a nation-state’s primary technology likely influences its political
system and any political transformation that may take place.
Technologies do influence society and humans. At the same time, humans exert influence on
technologies and society through such factors as innovation and creativity, economics, regulation,
and the actual use of technology.
2
The Middletown Media Studies discovered that people actually spend twice the amount of time using
the media than they believe. These studies also established that people do not use media in isolation
but often use two or more media systems simultaneously, an activity referred to as concurrent media
use. The average amount of time spent using media daily found in studies was nearly 11 hours.
Focusing only on teenagers, the median number of texts sent each day is 60, with 18% of teenagers
sending over 200 text messages daily. Adults send fewer texts on average than teenagers. However,
the frequency of adult texting is rising, and current teenagers will soon become adults and bring
many of their texting habits with them.
While the sheer amount of time spent using technology and media is reason enough for their
importance as an area of study, perhaps more significant is the impact of technology and media on
relationships and the impact of relationships on the use of technology and media. Technology and
media use at home frequently occurs in the presence family members, close friends, and romantic
partners, while technology and media use outside the home often occurs with those with whom you
share more social relationships, such as classmates, coworkers, acquaintances, and even strangers.
The use of technology and media takes place in the context of relationships, and our knowledge of
technology and media can be best developed through a relational perspective and by examining their
use in everyday life.
Perceptions of Technology and Media
A person’s perspective will influence how something is understood and how it is studied.
CAVE DRAWINGS AND OTHER CONCERNS
When a new technology is introduced in a society, it is generally framed both as something that will
save the world and as something that is intrusive and threatening. It also tends to be evaluated
according to standards and criteria associated with previously existing technology rather than being
studied and evaluated according to its own unique standards and norms. More often than not,
technological fears are more common than technological praises.
The emerge of any new communication of any new communication technology has historically
elicited choruses of concern and anxiety, surprisingly similar in nature. People tend to worry about
the effect of emerging technologies on family, community, and, of course, children. While no
evidence exists, we imagine focus groups were developed by well-meaning cave people to examine
the potentially negative impact of cave drawings on innocent and susceptible cave children.
Documented criticism of more recent technologies shows people expressed similar fears when radio
began appearing in homes in the 1920s, and these fears were nearly identical to those expressed
about television when it began appearing in homes in the 1950s. Comic books were going to turn
children into criminals, and video games were going to rot their brains. The Internet was going to
destroy society by isolating people. Many of these criticisms are still being expressed, even though
most have been proven wrong. In some cases, such as with concerns that the Internet would lead to
isolation, the exact opposite has actually taken place.
1
, EVERY TECHNOLOGY IS RELATIONAL
Technologies do influence the world in which you live. Regardless of whether its influences are
positive or negative, each technology changes how people communicate and interact. The one
constant among all technologies, from cave drawings to the Internet to whatever technologies arise
next, that they are inherently relational in their understanding and use.
At the center of all criticism and even praise of technologies rest their influence and effect on social
interaction and connections among people. This influences is probably why criticism and praise
surroundings each emerging technology have sounded so similar; relationships among people have
been the one constant throughout all human technological development. Adapted to accomplish and
meet relational needs, all technologies have influenced how you interact and relate with others.
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY
So, technologies do influence your world, and this influence is especially evident when it comes to
relationships. However, a question arises as to whether technologies are impacting humans or
humans are impacting technologies. The answer is both. There are three primary views associated
with the impact of technology.
TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
Technological determinism is the belief that technologies determine social structure, cultural values,
and even how we think. People are essentially viewed as powerless against the force of technology.
People viewing technologies as deterministic are the same people most likely to evaluate emerging
technologies with fear and suspicion.
Somewhat related to technological determinism is the belief that people are powerless against media
content. Of course, people are not passive consumers of media. Rather, they actively interpret and
evaluate media in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons.
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF TECHNOLOGY
Social construction of technology is the belief that people determine the development of technology
and ultimately determine social structure and cultural value. The social constructionist view of
technology reminds us that there are many factors in the development and emergence of
technologies beyond the technology itself. These factors include human innovation and creativity,
economics, government regulation, and actual users of technology. Ultimately, actual users exert
tremendous influence on the development of any technology, determining its use, development, and
place within society.
SOCIAL SHAPING OF TECHNOLOGY
Social shaping of technology is the belief that both people and technologies exert influence on social
structure and cultural values. Many factors determine the development and emergence of
technologies, including characteristics of the technology itself.
So, social shaping of technology views both humans and technology as responsible for what happens
in the world. It was discovered that a nation-state’s primary technology likely influences its political
system and any political transformation that may take place.
Technologies do influence society and humans. At the same time, humans exert influence on
technologies and society through such factors as innovation and creativity, economics, regulation,
and the actual use of technology.
2
