How does existing technology transform and impact our culture, as well as pinpoint and highlight existing human social behavior? Specifically, this research will explore the role of social media technology in regards to the quality of interpersonal human relationships. It will also aim to answer if technology is used as an apparatus to inflate and deflate existing human compulsions rather than being a destructive tool on its own. This research will be an analysis of present-day technology, as a lens to view and critique modern human impulses and interactivity.
In addressing the extent to which technology affects our lives and relationships, two spheres of influence begin to emerge. The first being culture-inspired-technology , the product of a cultural response that reacts via inventing gadgetry to mediate, regulate, and foster various social interactions.
For example, the printing press emerged to meet the demand of spreading religious knowledge. Although Gutenberg had several interior motives to invent the printing press, the need for more printed works, Bibles in particular - was influenced by the religious culture of the dominant Catholic Church. A more contemporary example is the front-facing camera, introduced in mobile phones in GS Marena 1. This feature was created for video conferencing, but also served the dual purpose of allowing people to take pictures of themselves GS Marena 1.
It is evident from the critical function of this product that the narcissism within human nature influenced a market for this invention. Therefore, humans have catered to this cultural trait for millenniums, but this technology was specifically designed for doing so.
The other sphere of influence is technology-inspired-culture. As a result, fostered by the nature of human self-indulgence, such applications influenced a cultural development of mobile users showcasing and streaming their entire lives. Between these two spheres of influence, there is a clear symbiotic relationship between technology-inspired-culture and culture-inspired-technology.
