Technological change has been undergoing change on a regular basis since the industrial revolution. From a digital perspective it is undergoing change that is constant, and will continue to affect the way our lives are lived in future.

With regards to information, change is seemingly never ending. Our readings for this module asks as to think about who or what is driving technological change? I struggle to completely understand the concept of determinism. Unless of course I am simply over-thinking this. In a nut shell, my understanding is that determinism is the theory that all events are determined by pre-existing causes. Without these causes humans won’t have the free will to make future choices.

What does this have to do with technological change? Clearly this is alluding to the cause of technological change. Humans. Society. We have so many digital platforms available to us, that it is how it affects our way of thinking and what we do with that thinking process that determines our future choices. Hence determinism. With human’s intrinsic drive and motivation to improve on the past, make changes to be more valuable and efficient, I believe this is the cause for technological change.

I marvel at the awe when a young student tells me what they have learnt about ‘the olden days’. Discussion in question was about a wash board. Such a simple tool used for doing a mundane task that is washing. Nowadays, we of course use an electric washing machine that not only makes the job less burdensome but lessens the time needed to complete the task. The ‘olden days’. What will our future be like? Today will, at some point, become the olden days.

Such is the case with information and technology. If society’s use of the washboard motivated inventors to improve on the simplistic design to make it more efficient, how much so will our use of electronic gadgetry to seek information, spur current and future inventors, engineers and scientists to create tools that provide information at a faster and more intelligable and accessible rate?

Such a complex concept to digest yet at it’s core, humans seem to be the driver of change.