In the Lectorial on Monday, Brian introduced the idea that technology can be socially disruptive. I think this point is very interesting, and it can definitely be substantiated. Technology has changed the way we live our lives. A simple example could be the invention of the telephone – instant communication across large distances was now possible, rather than writing a letter, waiting for that to be delivered, and that person having to send a letter back and repeat the process again.

The telephone changed the way we communicate for ever, but this didn’t mean that it was in any way a final stage of the evolvement of technology and culture. The introduction of mobile phones, and most recently smartphones, suggests that development of technology is a constant process that is always affecting the way we live our lives.

Technology has also allowed us to more easily cross not only physical distances, but also social distances. Before the Internet, a middle class Australian would never expect to bump into the President of the United States in the pub down the road. But on platforms such as Reddit AMAs (Ask Me Anything), anyone can head online and interact with famous and important people. I mentioned the president for a good reason: Barack Obama did an AMA a while ago, answering questions from ordinary people.

We are able to connect with people in ways we never have been able to before. This is significant in transforming us socially, as we are able humanise and empathise with strangers across the globe, and thus, technology is able to create a global interactive network that brings us closer together.