Technology In-Class Essay Terms

Technology

the creation of tools or objects that both alter our natural abilities and alter our social environment. Can be positive or negative.

Traditional Theories

social change driven by the individual and tech accompanies change in society

Technological Determinism

social change initiated by technology.

Marshal McLuhan

one of the most influential thinkers of technological determinist school. Believes in three fundamental innovations (breakpoints) in technology.

Marshal McLuhan’s three breakpoints

introduction of the phonetic alphabet, introduction of moveable type, and invention of electronic media.

Tetrad

social interactions, economic inequality, mental health issues, cultural diffusion, education, artistic expression.

McLuhan’s 4 Laws of Media

Enhance, Reverse, Retrieve, Obsolescence

Medium

the extension of our body/senses, anything from which a change emerges.

Technological Diffusion

the adoption by one culture of a technology invented by another culture. To be adopted into the culture, the innovation must become know, be accepted by many people, and fit into an existing system of knowledge.

Cultural lag

a concept claiming that non-material culture (such as values, beliefs, laws) takes time to catch up with rapid advancements in material culture (such as tech and tools)

Future shock

the psychological and physical distress, disorientation, and anxiety experienced by individuals or societies when they face too much change in too short a period of time.

Technosis

an over-dependence on technology and the psychological or social stress that results from it.

Hyperculture

a globalized, interconnected culture where traditions, styles, and ideas are detached from their original geographic locations and mixed freely.

Luddite

someone who opposes new technology, automation, or industrial change.

Deindividuation

the loss of a person’s sense of individuality and personal responsibility when immersed in a group environment.

The Looking Glass

theory to explain how identity and personality were created through social interaction.

Digital Native

someone who has been born or brought up in a society that has a high level of technological advancement and technology is integrated into their social and cultural world.

Digital Immigrants

someone who was not brought up in the digital age – they were born or brought up before the widespread digital age.

Artificial Intelligence

the general ability of computers to emulate human thought and perform tasks in real-world environments.

Machine Learning

the technologies and algorithms that enable systems to identify patterns, make decisions, and improve themselves through experience and data.

Large Language Model

a type of artificial intelligence system trained on massive amounts of text data to understand, summarize, translate, and generate human-like language and computer code.