What is Technoculture?

Technoculture is the idea that not only does culture/society drive the technology, but technology also drives the culture/society. The tech exists because there was a need, but we also created a need for the tech. Everything is interwoven without a clear border.

I asked my 22 year old what he thought about technoculture. This is a person who has had a computer and the internet in his home since age 4, and gaming systems since age 2. His initial response was, "I don't really do Facebook that much, and I don't even have a Twitter." So I pressed a bit more,

"How do you pay your bills?"

"How did you get your auto loan?"

"How do you get to new places?"

"How do you watch most of your tv?"

That's when he started to realize just how ingrained he is in the technoculture. We bank with a bank completely online (until recently there wasn't even a branch of our bank in the state). We stream movies and tv. Even if we decide to go to a movie, we buy our tickets online. We pay bills online. Register for college classes online.In addition, I use social media and other online sources to find out what's going on in the world.  Instead of just going for a run, or a swim, or a bike ride, or just about anything really, I track these activities with my Garmin watch. Not just for my use, because my Garmin is then linked to my Strava account which shares my activities as well as pace, mileage, elevation, personal records, heart rate/effort, and loads of other information.

The prevalence of cell phones in our society means that everyone is potentially filming everyone else, at some point. News reporters often put out a call to anyone who may have cell phone coverage of certain events. 

Barring a Zombie Apocalypse (which would probably live stream on Facebook), technology isn't going anywhere. The more we, as a culture, drive the need for newer, bigger, better technology, the more technology will drive our need for newer, bigger, better.