The second principle of Technorealism www.technorealism.org is one that is partially dated yet in other ways so very true. This second principle – The Internet is revolutionary, but not Utopian – can easily be broken down into two separate ideas. The Internet and society have changed drastically over the years and a division of this principle should prove more appropriate for us today.

The first half of the second principle of technorealism – The Internet is revolutionary – seems somewhat dated today. Considering this idea from a historical perspective though will shed some light on just how far we have come over the years. Thinking back to the mid- to late-1990’s, personal computers were not so commonplace, especially in homes. Added with the fact that cell phones were only phones, that is there was no mobile web, Internet technologies were truly revolutionary during this time. Life seemed to move at a slower pace in the pre-Internet era. Business was done either over the telephone or in person and used only facsimile machines for electronic communications. Teenagers actually got together to enjoy each others company.
The Internet Revolution, if you will, seemingly changed most every aspect of life. Over time though, as access to the Internet became commonplace, the “new” factor progressively wore off. Now, a decade into the 21st Century, most of us cannot imagine life without the luxuries of the Internet and Web. It has become virtually impossible to listen to the radio or watch television for any amount of time without hearing a news story or advertisement that includes a web or email address. Considering all of this, I feel it is safe to say the revolution is over, although we’re most likely stuck with the Internet at least until the next revolutionary technology comes around.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed