I agree with Winner's claim that technical things have political qualities. Throughout history the biggest and best technological advances have helped developed democracy, freedom, and social justice. The telegraph, automobile, telephone, computer etc. have all been identified as strong democratizing forces. Although technological things cannot literally be political, but the social economic system of which they exist can be. Winner focuses his article on the two ways he believes technologies can contain political properties. The first is the way in which a technology has settled particular issues that have faced communities and the second is the man-made systems of technology that are required to be strongly compatible with particular kinds of political relationships. I think that the idea of inherent political technologies is important today because we sometimes don't realize how our new technological lifestyles affect the way we think and act politically.
The adoption of new technological systems has encouraged people to think about politics in a new way. I don't think that all technologies have affected politics, but there are definitely some that have shaped the politics of the Internet Era that we live in today. Winner discusses how technologies specifically developed political thinking throughout history, but I think that as we progressed, the affect technology has on politics has become less concrete and more flexible in definition. While Engels believes that the development of technological systems increases the prospects for authoritarian ways of life, I think that today's technologies have increased a more democratic way of life.
One of the first elections that technology played a major role in was the 2008 Presidential Election. This PBS article describes exactly how the Obama campaign used new technologies to help secure an Obama victory. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube were used to reach voters. The "dawn of the Internet era and introduction of technologies such as email lists and social media have had a remarkable impact on American politics." The article outlines the technological shift American politics has taken. Some highlights include the creation of Google in 1998, the emergence of popular political sites in 2001, the creation of Youtube and The Huffington Post in 2005, Facebook gave rise to an enormous constituency of political activity in 2008, Twitter dipped its toes in the campaign waters, and in October 2008, the Obama campaign released its free Obama08 app, which organized a person’s iPhone contacts to enable supporters to call friends located in important electoral districts among other features. These technological advances shifted the way politicians interact with voters. Voters feel more connected with their leaders because these technologies have allowed them to become more informed and educated voters. Another example of how technology has changed politics is this years SOTU. Like we discussed in class, this years SOTU was interactive for viewers. There were trending topics on Twitter, suggested tweets for viewers, and there was even a sidebar featuring pictures and phrases that mirrored what Obama was saying. Obama also focused a lot of his address on technology in terms of education, employment, and the global economy. Technological developments have shaped the way we think about politics.
Technology has made society more demographic. Citizens have become much more involved in the democratic process because of technologies like Google, Youtube and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. I do not think technologies have made society more authoritarian. I think that technological advancements have made it easier for people to get involved in the democratic political process, promoting the sharing of ideas and viewpoints in a more open and talked about way.
I think that your approach to the relationship between politics and technology is really insightful. I especially agree with the parallels that you draw between social media and politics. It is almost the reverse of what Winner is arguing in his text-- political life and technology are no longer even discernible. Like you suggested with the use of Twitter in the 2008 election, technology is contributing to our sense of participation in democracy. We can tweet Obama, join Hillary's Facebook page, or participate in voting polls on CNN. All of these outlets encourage active citizen involvement, making us feel like technology is creating a connection between ourselves and political activity. However, I think that these changes in the political use of new media may have authoritarian implications, too. Politics is commanding more of our attention by infiltrating mediums that were previously reserved for leisure. By incorporating new technologies into a campaign, politicians can gain more centralized attention from their constituents; a significant percentage of their target audience is collected in one virtual "place." These strategies are politicizing aspects of life that did not used to be political. So while I agree that new media has played a role in increasing sentiments of democracy, I think that there is another side to consider.
ReplyDeleteRachel! Thanks for you comment. I agree with you about how there may be some authoritarian implications that I did not think about. I agree that technologies have given politicians the ability to get more attention from constituents. I never really thought of how these practices have politicized aspects of live that had never been political. After reading your comment I agree that there is another side I should have considered.
DeleteI agree that technology as a whole has definitely made society more democratic. Our ability to instantly communicate with people all over the world allows people to spread ideas quicker than ever, with no filter or obstacles. This completely fulfills people's desire to consume information.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think there are some qualities of technology such as social media that are detrimental to the justice and individuality of a democratic society. For example, if a certain political event is broadcast all across the internet in a certain opinionated way, then the readers of that article will all be more inclined to feel the same way about it. This keeps people from making judgement based on what they know first hand. Before the internet, people's opinions were much more dependent on their geographic location and family life. Nowadays, people can assume the position of an internet article written somewhere 3000 miles away.
Dave, thanks for your comment! I agree. I definitely think that new technologies like Twitter have given people ways to voice their opinion about politics. I agree that social media has allowed people to think about politics in biased, one sided ways because people are now more inclined to watch networks and tune into politicians they agree with. People are less likely to be unbiased when watching a politician because they are influenced by others now more than ever. Although technology has created a more biased country, you're right in saying that it has made it so much easier for people to communicate and stay up to date with politics from across the country and even the world.
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