Blog Post 2 - Domestication of Technology


In Chapter 2 of Personal Connections of the Digital Age, Baym argues that “most anxieties around both digital media and their historical precursors stem from the fact that these media are interactive” (p.24). This can be seen in the case of Katherine Pommerening, a thirteen-year-old girl from Washington whose life revolves around her iPhone and social media accounts.
The causal relationship between technology and the social is important to consider when analyzing Katherine’s story. From the four theoretical perspectives discussed in the Baym reading, I believe the domestication of technology is the most relatable. This perspective has to do with the idea that as technologies become integrated into everyday lives, they come with both positive and negative implications. For Katherine, life without her smartphone device seems unimaginable. From the moment she gets in the car to go to school to when she sits down to eat dinner, Katherine’s iPhone is glued to her hand. While the mobile phone has positive benefits such as assuring safety and access to others, it can also provoke anxieties within us. In Katherine’s case, she reveals how crucial it is to only post her ‘coolest’ moments on Instagram, have adequate lighting, get enough likes, etc. Worrying about these factors can create some serious anxieties especially amongst young girls like Katherine. That being said, we oftentimes do not realize how impactful the interactivity of our technology can have on our mental health. Technology has become so deeply embedded in our daily lives that the negative implications that technology can cause are now ‘ordinary’. This is ultimately why I chose to focus my discussion on the domestication of technology. As users, we have appropriated mobile devices so much so that we are dependent on them - to communicate with friends & family, to write down notes, to navigate directions, to track steps taken, etc. The list is endless.  

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 4, 2018 at 11:33 AM

    Hey Cassandra!

    I agree with you on how the domestication of technology results in it being so embedded in our lives that we don't realize it's impact. I took a break from Instagram for a while- about six months, and then again for a few months, and it really made a difference. It was like I was able to take a deep breath. Although I still use it now, I know that I am perfectly capable of living my life without it, which gives me a sense of freedom. It's almost like instead of taking the technology for granted, I took the freedom I have from technology for granted. I always think about what its like for individuals younger than us though, who are so well adapted to it at such a young age that it becomes integrated into every piece of their social lives. I was not introduced to Instagram until grade 11. I can not even imagine the mental health implications for a thirteen year old using Instagram as a platform for their own social status- there's no wonder it causes such anxiety!

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