Technological Determinism

Technological determinism is a the theory that a society's technology determines its cultural values, social structure, or history. It is the belief that social progress follows an inevitable course that is driven by technological innovation. Technological determism has two main ideas: i) technological development itself follows a predictable, traceable path that is beyond any cultural or political influence; and ii) the technology in turn organizes society in a way to further develop itself. The notion of technological determinism stands oppostie to the theory of social construction of technology. That is, the idea that society itself shapes the consequences of technology on humans. Technological determinism has largely been discredited with academia, however, it remains the popular view among media and popular culture.