Technology and Society: Connected or Creating One Another??

I posted in an earlier post a quote from Neil Selwyn and his book, Education in a Digital World : Global Perspectives on Technology and Education. He stated that, “we know that technology does not determine society: it is society” (1).  I had used this concept to create a link between Tolstoy’s examination of society and technology in Anna Karenina and the effects of media today, but the more I think about it I think this quote has much more to say about where we are today and how society is changing. And more importantly this raises the question of how technology enables and facilitates societal growth.

Through digital culture, it seems like more and more of our very core functions and interactions within and through our “society” are now directly linked to technology. With everything from communication and staying in touch to school and learning being available and facilitated online, it is often hard to draw the line between where our online interactions end or begin. I’m grateful for the media fast for showing me exactly how much I personally rely on technology and my different “gadgets.” This reinforced for me just how integral and influential digital media is within my own life and the most common and banal tasks.

At the same time I do wonder whether this tie between society and digital culture is beneficial or ultimately harmful. But as Tolstoy illustrates, these links between society and its technological developments are impossible to separate. Although we don’t all have to face the same tragic consequences as Anna herself, I think technology is a vital part of our world that is helping us to grow and change in new and exciting ways.