key terms

cyberfeminism: the application to and promotion of feminism online

design patents: patents that are granted when someone has invented a new and original design for a manufactured product

digital divide: the uneven access to technology around race, class, and geographic lines

e-readiness: the ability to sort through, interpret, and process digital knowledge

evolutionary model of technological change: a breakthrough in one form of technology that leads to a number of variations, from which a prototype emerges, followed by a period of slight adjustments to the technology, interrupted by a breakthrough

gatekeeping: the sorting process by which thousands of possible messages are shaped into a mass media-appropriate form and reduced to a manageable amount

knowledge gap: the gap in information that builds as groups grow up without access to technology

media: all print, digital, and electronic means of communication

media consolidation: a process by which fewer and fewer owners control the majority of media outlets

media globalization: the worldwide integration of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas

neo-Luddites: those who see technology as a symbol of the coldness of modern life

net neutrality: the principle that all Internet data should be treated equally by internet service providers

new media: all interactive forms of information exchange

oligopoly: a situation in which a few firms dominate a marketplace

panoptic surveillance: a form of constant monitoring in which the observation posts are decentralized and the observed is never communicated with directly

planned obsolescence: the act of a technology company planning for a product to be obsolete or unable from the time it’s created

plant patents: patents that recognize the discovery of new plant types that can be asexually reproduced

technological diffusion: the spread of technology across borders

technological globalization: the cross-cultural development and exchange of technology

technology: the application of science to solve problems in daily life

technophiles: those who see technology as symbolizing the potential for a brighter future

utility patents: patents that are granted for the invention or discovery of any new and useful process, product, or machine