Technological Determinism: “the belief that technology is the agent of social change”

As expressed in the first of this week’s readings, technological determinism refers to the idea that technology is a catalyst for social change. The definitive term was conceived in the 1920s by social scientist Thorstein Veblen however the concept, as a social attitude, has been around since “the Victorian period”. At this time, technological determinism related to progress as it was measured in industrial terms. These days, it is evident in the influence of computer technologies.

Technological determinism refers to progress that is independent of social pressures and that follows “a logic or imperative of its own”. The theory suggests that should a new technological innovation be applied correctly and widely enough, it can create a whole new society. Historically, this includes the introduction of technologies such as steam, electricity and computing, for example. The theory would suggest that at the time of its invention, “we have no choice but to adopt this technology.”