Media & Technology: Key Terms (Medium Theory, Determinism, SCOT, Materiality, Autonomous Tech, Momentum)

Vocabulary flashcards covering major terms in Media & Technology studies from the lecture notes, including definitions and core ideas.

Medium Theory / Media Ecology

A framework that treats media as environments that shape human perception, behavior, and culture; emphasizes the form and channel of communication (the medium) over content—for example, 'the medium is the message.'

Technological Determinism

an approach that identifies technology or technological developments

The Social Construction of Technology (SCOT)

Emphasizes the social construction of technology focusing on active human agents in ultimately determining how technology is developed and used

Media's Materiality

The physical and material aspects of technology (hardware, infrastructure, resources) that constrain, enable, and influence how media is used and what it can accomplish.

Autonomous Technology

A general label for conceptions and observations to the effect that technology is somehow out of control by human agency

Technological Momentum

The idea that initial social shaping and material foundations create a self-reinforcing trajectory, or momentum, making later changes harder and leading to path dependence.

Types of Technology

Broad categories used in technology studies to analyze impact; common examples include information/communication tech, energy/industrial tech, medical tech, transportation tech, and agricultural/biotech tech.