Communication Technologies and their Impacts
CM1008
Giorgia Sisto (580263)
Lectures from week 1 to 8
Most important questions for the exam
Mock quiz
Notes via Stuvia, by Giorgia Sisto (580263) 1
,Lectures Week 1-10
Tutorials 1-10
1. Utopia or dystopia?
2. Organizing information
3. Fascinating visuals
4. The Mediterranean Model
5. Involving citizens
6. Off the wall
7. Seriously entertaining
8. Transcending our biology
Notes via Stuvia, by Giorgia Sisto (580263) 2
,Week 1, Lecture: UTOPIA VS. DYSTOPIA
Learning goals:
● Distinguish technological determinist narratives from mutual shaping approaches
● Explain why utopian and dystopian ideas about technological development are not useful to
analyze the impact of technologies on our society.
● Identify similarities in the way communication technologies are discussed in societies over
time – hence, you are able to take a historical perspective in the subject matter.
● Distinguish the concepts of technological domestication, user agency and affordances and
the differences between technological determinism and the mutual shaping of technology
Introduction
New communication technologies challenge existing structures, practices and organizations. When
they are appropriated by society, the impact of these technologies is often the subject of
discussion. Either they are presented as having a very positive impact on society (life is much
easier/better, people are empowered, we are more equal, politicians can interact with their citizens
more directly), or as negative (we lose social cohesion in neighborhoods, people are more
distracted and forgetful, culture is compromised, governments lose control).
BUT DO THESE UTOPIAN OR DYSTOPIAN NARRATIVES HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THE
TRUE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGIES? -> NO
https://canvas.eur.nl/courses/31249/pages/discussing-communication-technologies-utopia-versus-
dystopia?module_item_id=581734
Lecture 1.1: Discussing communication technologies: Utopia versus dystopia
The trailer of ‘Transcendence’ paints a very interesting picture of what could happen if people
would merge with communication technologies. It is therefore a great example of a cultural product
that deals with the future of society and the role and impact of communication technologies therein.
Communication technologies: applications of scientific knowledge which enable society to
communicate and create access, store, transmit and manipulate information. A broad definition of
CT enables us to look at various examples of them throughout time, the way they have been
introduced in society and the discussions that took place about their possible impact.
WILL COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES CHANGE OUR LIVES FOR THE BETTER OR FOR
THE WORSE?
Utopia: quasi-realistic account of a vastly improved society, that offers hope and direction in an
uncertain world. It originates from Thomas More’s books (1. critique of society; 2. description of
ideal society) indeed called Utopia. Utopia: ideal place, Imaginary place, Impossible place.
Notes via Stuvia, by Giorgia Sisto (580263) 3
, Utopians posit that cyberspace will make it easier for people to communicate both politically and
otherwise. Technological utopia = a quasi-realistic account of a vastly improved society, enabled
by technologies, that offers hope and direction in a utopian world.
Science and technology plays a fundamental role in visioning/imagining the future. Perfect
example is Star Trek → utopian visualization of the future can be powerful sources of inspiration
(personal access devices resemble Ipads → close relationship between fiction and reality).
Sophia (Hanson Robotics) at The Tonight Show shortly says she wants to gain control over the
human race and humans losing control over technology is a recurrent theme faced in fiction→
dystopia: a speculative future (society) characterized by negative elements. The dystopian
position emphasizes the potential of the medium to affect communication in such a way that it may
negatively alter the practices and spaces of communication that had previously nurtured
democracy. Technological dystopia = A speculative future (society) characterized by negative
elements enabled by technologies.
- It distracts and disengages people from the important stuff
- More segregation, digital divide
Another example of dystopia is the TV series Black Mirror, which rates people's personality.
IS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN UTOPIA VS DYSTOPIA BLACK OR WHITE? No, this distinction
is not relevant BUT remember that every time a new technology is introduced in society there will
always be debate on the impact of this new technology for the good or the bad.
Very often utopia and dystopia are technological determinist in their nature
Fundamental understanding for this course: Technological innovations of any substantial extent
involve reweaving of the fabric of society, a reshaping of some of the roles, rules, and relationships,
that comprise our ways of living together.
REMEMBER: reality is more nuanced than just utopian or dystopian + ALWAYS when a new
technology is introduced in society there is a debate on the impact of it - for the good or bad.
Lecture 1.2, Intermezzo: Technological affordances
General definition: affordance is generally used to describe what material artifacts such as media
technologies allow people to do.
Affordances (Gibson): to highlight interactions/affordances that nature provides. To Gibson
affordances were relational properties between nature and beings → perceptual theory: he
proposed perceiving nature through affordances.
- Affordances really depend on who and what you are → relational properties. Animal x
environment.
Notes via Stuvia, by Giorgia Sisto (580263) 4
