Lesson 8: Media and Technology

Attention

Here is a great video on the evolution of media and technology from 1910-2015

 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Describe technological inequality and issues related to access to technology.
  • Discuss how media and technology are analyzed through various sociological perspectives.

Teaching

Technology

The application of science to the problems of every day life.

Technological Inequality

Nearly all aspects of our lives are impacted by technology. We consume education through the media using technology, we farm in very different ways than we have before, and careers/jobs have been replaced by technology.

However, just like any other cultural resource, the distribution of technology is not equal. (Nat Neutrality is still a hotly debated topic, see the White House's stance on "Net Neutrality" and the brief video below...)

 

Technology allows those who have it to possess some advantages. Access to information and education, access to resources, more up-to-date news and data, etc. Many may say that as our "connected devices" become smaller and cheaper, then more and more populations now have access to the Internet and the benefits of it.

Is there another side to this story?

It would be difficult to deny the convenience of advanced communication technology...or even many of the other products of advanced technology (genetically modified foods, advanced life-extending procedures, etc.)

But...is there another side to the story? Check out this video where the speaker calls on the creators of technology to be thoughtful about what they create and the need for a "Moral Operating System."

How important is your Facebook Account?

Technology has brought to us an unprecedented degree of ability to connect with others. Facebook now plays a transformative role in the development of public opinion and social movement.

  • How often do you check your email?
  • How often do you check your Facebook? Twitter? etc.
  • Do you have a personal website?

Media

Media refers to all print, digital, and electronic means of communication. How information is distributed has had a tremendous impact on the world. (Read this blog on New Media Narratives titled Printing Press and Internet Impact on Social Relationships)

Inches of Parchment

This is a little aside moment...As I write this lesson I began to think of the writing assignments that were portrayed in the Hogwarts classroom in the widely popular Harry Potter movie series. Whenever a writing assignment was given the Professors would assign the length of assignment in terms of "inches of parchment". For instance, an essay that filled up 12 inches of parchment would be twice as long as one that filled up 6 inches of parchment. Parchment, in the movie, comes in scrolls and the students submit their work on scrolls.

Consider the current state of classroom assignment expectations. All the essay quizzes in this class are written directly into boxes. As you write these boxes "scroll" (interesting connection to that word!) and you can write more and more. Consider also that when you write a paper in a word processor, you are less and less likely to submit it in print form...in fact you are more likely to send it as an attachment or to a drop box.

So, here is the burning question...if we are sending most of our written documents as digital files...why do we need arbitrary page breaks in our documents? Why not simply write along a continuing flow of space which scrolls to make more space for more words?

Will we someday forgo the printer and simply ask for assignments to be completed based on "inches of (virtual) parchment"?

Homogenization and Fragmentation

Read the section in the textbook on the homogenization of the media. Consider these questions:

  1. “Where and how do you get your news? Do you watch network television? Read the newspaper? Go Online? How about your parents or grandparents? Do you think it matters where you seek out information? Why or why not?
  2. Do you believe new media allows for the kind of unifying moments that television and radio programming used to? If so, give an example.
  3. Where are you most likely to notice advertisements? What causes them to catch your attention?”

Perspectives on Technology and Media

Consider the Sociological Perspectives that we learned about in Lesson 1. They are listed below with short, one-line descriptions.

  • Functional - society is a stable, orderly system characterized by societal consensus
    • Commercial function
    • Entertainment function
    • Social Norms function
    • Life-changing function
  • Conflict - groups with divergent interests engage in ongoing power struggles for control of scarce resources in society
    • Control of media and technology
    • Technological social control and digital surveillance
    • Portrayal of gender in the media
  • Symbolic Interactionist - the meaning that individuals and groups attribute to culture, society, and social interactions
    • Social construction of reality
    • Social networking
  • Post Modern - explaining social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by post-industrialization, consumerism, and global communications
    • Information sharing
    • Consumerism
    • Social groups are redefined

Assessment

Lesson 8 Discussion

Review the Sociological Perspectives. Select ONE of the perspectives that you can relate to through personal experience and analyze either technology or the medial through this lens.

Lesson 8 Quiz

  1. Define (in your own words) the concept of "technological inequality"
  2. Reflect on the positive and negative qualities of technological inequality...i.e. how has access to technology created AND solved problems at the same time?