This blog post delves deeply into the relationship between technology and society, examining the profound impact technology has had on humanity and society.
Since humans first appeared, forming groups and societies, technology has always developed alongside humanity. The actions of Paleolithic humans—lighting fires to find warm sleeping spots and food, or breaking stones to make stone axes—all fall within the category of technology. Thus, technology can be defined as the sum total of diverse efforts made to create desired outcomes. These early technologies went beyond mere survival tools, playing a decisive role in enabling humans to adapt to the natural environment and utilize resources efficiently. Furthermore, the development of tools profoundly altered human lifestyles and significantly influenced the formation of social structures.
However, as we entered modern society, technology became far more complex and sophisticated in both its processes and outcomes. Simultaneously, people always anticipate something better, surpassing current technology. Since the Industrial Revolution, technology has advanced at an explosive pace incomparable to previous eras, triggering social upheavals so profound they redefined the very essence of human existence, far beyond mere changes in daily life. For instance, the invention of the steam engine and the introduction of mechanized production methods transformed the very concept of labor, creating new social frameworks of mass production and urbanization. These changes profoundly impacted not only economic structures but also culture and social relations across the board.
This leads us to pose a fundamental question: Is the primary driving force behind technological advancement technology itself, or is it societal demand? This question has been the subject of long-standing debate within academia. The position that technology autonomously exerts a decisive influence on society is known as technological determinism. Conversely, the view that society defines the direction of technological development is termed social constructivism. These two theories extend beyond mere philosophical perspectives, profoundly influencing the analysis of actual social phenomena and policy decisions. For instance, the way governments or corporations pursue technological development to solve social problems can appear to show society steering the direction of technological progress to some extent.
However, a comprehensive examination of diverse cases reveals that technological determinism holds greater persuasive power as a theory. In today’s society, where countless technologies are deeply intertwined, clearly distinguishing technology from social demand is extremely difficult. More often, the emergence of new technologies creates previously unimaginable desires and changes. A prime example is the advent of the internet and smartphones, which went beyond mere technological innovation to bring about massive changes across all aspects of human communication, information accessibility, and daily life.
Therefore, to understand the relationship between technological advancement and social change, it is beneficial to return to the early stages of a technology’s emergence and analyze the phenomenon there. Futurist Alvin Toffler described the flow of human civilization as three waves: the Agricultural Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the Information Revolution. Each of these periods shares a common feature: change occurred explosively, not through gradual development, but due to ‘a single discovery’ in technology. For instance, humans discovered that seeds falling to the ground grew into plants, enabling them to secure a stable food supply. This allowed them to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and begin settling down. Consequently, fundamental changes occurred in social structure and economic activity, laying the foundation for civilization.
The Industrial Revolution followed the same pattern. A small advancement in cotton textile production technology sparked widespread interest in production techniques, which in turn accelerated the emergence of large-scale factory systems and mechanized production methods. Interestingly, these technology-driven changes themselves created new social needs. A cyclical structure formed where technology gave rise to needs, and those needs in turn stimulated further technological development. For example, the invention of the automobile not only revolutionized the entire transportation system but also comprehensively transformed urban structures, housing forms, and the very nature of commercial activities. This demonstrates that technology did not merely emerge in response to demand; rather, it functioned as an agent that transformed society itself.
Thus, when comprehensively examining the starting point of technological development and the resulting currents of change, ‘technology itself’ always lies at the core. While human desires can accelerate the pace of technological advancement, it remains undeniable that technology ultimately determines its starting point and direction. Today, as we enter the era of the digital revolution, this phenomenon is becoming even more pronounced. The advancement of information technology has built both the subsequent social changes and the demands arising from them upon the foundation of information technology itself. This is why it is difficult to explain modern society without technology.
Ultimately, rather than society defining technological development, it can be seen that technology possesses the power to shape and transform society. People often believe they create technology, but in reality, they merely discover new desires within the world that technology has created and follow the flow leading to further technological innovations. Technology transcends being a mere tool; it has constantly interacted with society and served as the driving force of change. In the era we live in today, the fundamental engine propelling all these changes is ultimately technology.
