Blog Post #2 - Technological Determinism

        The theoretical perspective on the relationship between technology and the social that I believe fits the anxiety about the interactivity of new digital media is technological determinism. This theoretical perspective is present within Katherine Pommerening’s life because it shows the ways that technology has created stress for her and how the obsession with what she posts or how she uses social media has taken over her life. Technological determinism relates to Katherine’s constant anxiety and obsession with her iPhone because technology has clearly imprinted itself on Katherine’s individual and collective psych, causing her life to be ruled by anxieties and pressures on how she can strive to achieve social media excellence (Baym, 29). Katherine’s endless course of switching between Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and other smartphone apps proves that technological determinism is present because of Katherine’s loss of her own sense of place that has impacted her social life by causing her to believe that relationships with friends exist over the phone (Baym, 29). Katherine’s continuous use of her phone and social media proves that the more she uses technologies, “the more they have used her, and the more she is influenced by them” (Baym, 29). I chose this theoretical framework because it best describes Katherine’s situation but also is incredibly relevant to my life and the life of my peers considering that technology and social media have absolutely altered our everyday lives and have changed us into anxious individuals obsessed with social media and technology. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 3, 2018 at 1:31 PM

    Hi Sierra,

    Nice work on this, i also talked about Technological Determinism. I liked your point on how technology is making us anxious and how anxiety can be uprooted from social medias and the pressure to do well on an Instagram photo of have a mass amount of comments on a Facebook post. I don't enjoy the fact that technology has taken over however, it is unavoidable due to the pace of society. I agree that Katherine has no sense of life path because of the consumption that social media has given her. It has totally taken over the way that people live their lives. Do we think this is something that will continue to get worse? or do we think that generations will be able to get away from technology and actually enjoy their childhoods at some point?

    - Caitlyn Gordon

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  2. Lauren CarltonOctober 7, 2018 at 2:14 PM

    Hi Sierra!!
    I completely agree with how you related to the anxieties as well as technological determinism to your own life. I can feel the pressure of social media and technology in my life as a 22 year old. I could not imagine dealing with the excessive amount of social media presence a decade ago when I was 12. I feel as though this will cause a lot of mental health issues related to the pressure of technology in young children. After reading Caitlyn's response above, I do believe that the way technology has taken over people's lives will continue to get worse and worse. Young children are brought up playing on Ipads as well as cell phones and they will become addicted as soon as they are old enough to talk and walk. I would hope some time in the future people would realize the harmful affects that social media can have but I doubt that will be the outcome of technology in the future.

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