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| The Social Impact of New Communication Technology Bibliography The following books concern the social and cultural impact of information and communication technologies. Graduate students in the communication program at the University of Houston have provided short summaries of some of the books. David F. Donnelly, Ph.D.
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Brockman, J. (1996). Digerati: Encounters with the cyber elite. San Francisco: HardWired. (Summary taken from my review in The Houston Chronicle, July, 1997. David Donnelly. ) We are inundated with McLuhanesque cyberspace commentary. We are told frequently what the Internet is, what it will be, and, most significantly, how this new medium for communication will forever and irreversibly alter our sense of self, our notions of community, our culture, our society. John Brockman has pulled together a collection of such thoughts offered by 33 commentators in his book Digerati: Encounters with the cyber elite. (HardWired, 1996.) The chosen pundits are, in Brockman's words, "representative of a much larger group of cyber elite, and as a group, they constitute a critical mass of doers, thinkers, writers, connected in ways they may not even appreciate, who have tremendous influence on the emerging communication revolution surrounding the growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web." (In summation, the book) represents an important
contribution to the difficult task of articulating
expectations for this new emerging medium. "
Burstein, D. and Kline, D. (1995). Road Warriors: Dreams and Nightmares Along the Information Highway. New York, NY: Dutton. (Summarized by Robbin M. Mallett, 11/4/96). Road Warriors: Dreams and Nightmares Along the Information Highway skillfully combines an insider's view of the information sector with an outsider's objectivity. Writing from a stance they term "real-world futurism," Burstein and Kline provide insightful analysis and context which allows even a "newbie" to grasp and comprehend the myriad forces behind the Digital Revolution. The book is skillfully written, combining statistics and technical detail with summary, analysis, and story-telling to produce a dramatic behind-the-scenes account of the battle over America's technological and economic future. The authors exhibit an incredible intellect and command of language, using metaphor and colorful description to convey the dizzying pace and scope of technological change, without resorting to the sort of unsubstantiated, overblown hype flowing unchecked from corporations, political leaders, and the media. Road Warriors is no quick read. It is a 450 page behemoth, which is befitting as complex a subject as technology's impact on our collective future. Road Warriors should be required reading for every college student, because it intelligently describes and interprets the technological forces that will radically transform their daily lives.
Crandall, R. & Levich, M. (1998). A Network Orange. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. (Summarized by Tara D. Johnson, 11/2/98) In "A Network Orange", technologist Richard Crandall and philosopher Marvin Levich examine the complex technological issues facing educators, computer users and designers. As computers emerge as a key element of our society, these authors call for closer scrutiny of the technological "revolution." "A Network Orange" addresses the issues of obsolete hardware and incompatibility which renders computers inefficient and costly, a concept the authors call a "conspiracy of parts." They also discuss artificial intelligence, the value of bulletin boards, chat rooms and the World Wide Web, and the issues surrounding virtual realities. The final section addresses the role of technology in education. This collection of essays is a skillfully-written, critical examination of the issues in the computer age that give rise to the problems insinuated in the book's title. Just as the Cockney expression "as queer as a clockwork orange" implies that things that appear to be ordered and natural, on further inspection, are chaotic within, "A Network Orange" implies that modern computing may not be the technological fix for which so many are looking and requires further investigation. The clear writing and lack of mind-numbing technical jargon makes this book an easy, yet thought provoking read.
Ganley, O. H. and Ganley, G. D. (1989). To inform or to control? The new communication networks. (2nd ed.). NJ: Ablex Publish Corporation. (Summarized by Nai-Yuan Chang, 11/4/96.) The first edition was published in 1982, and the revised edition was released six years later. The revised edition includes several new chapters and has been updated to incorporate changes in industrial structures, institutional and management arrangements, and global politics. The book is divided into two sections. In the first section, the authors discuss the emergence of the new technology and its impact on every aspect of American society. This section covers economic and political aspects of information technology, international communication, and the related impact on US international relations. In the second section, the authors discuss significant changes which transpired in the late 1980s For example, they discuss the rise of the services sector, as well as communication technology's impacts on warfare. In the last chapter, the authors examine some of the critical communication and information policy issues of the 1990s. (Summarized by Nai-Yuan Chang, 11/4/96.)
Gimpel, J. (1995). The end of the future: the waning of the high-tech world. Westport,CT: Praeger Publishers. (Summarized by Stuart Taff, 11/4/96). The end of the future is a collection of arguments for returning to less complicated technologies of the past in order to ensure future growth. Scenarios ranging from pharmaceuticals to rocket science provide diverse areas to bolster the premise. High-tech research is presented as having many potentially toxic side effects, endangering the world. Dependence upon technological innovations by Western civilization to maintain its economic dominance of the world is depicted as destructive to the society's infrastructure. Increasing investment in high technology will ultimately be, in the author's view, destructive. The author suggests that nations investing in less capital intensive projects will rise to world economic dominance, and those committed to capital intensive technologies may never bear the fruit of their labors.
Koelsch, F. (19xx) The Information Revolution: How it is changing our world and your life. (summarized by Bill Cassidy, 11/4/96). In his introduction to the book, Frank Koelsch states that the "Information Age is as obsolete as 20-year-old computers." He prefers the term "Infomedia Age." According to Koelsch the infomedia industries (computing, communications and consumer electronics) are converging and such action will drive and accelerate the already rapid rate of technological development. The major portion of this book covers new technological developments such as smart homes, interactive television, and teleshopping. The book also tracks the development of the computer industry from its beginnings to today. While it is useful in addressing new developments, the book fails to live up to its title and provide adequate analysis of the true effect these impeding changes will have on our society.
Postman, Neil (1992). Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. NY: Alfred A. Knopf. (Summarized by Yu-Ting Lo, 11/4/96). In this book, Neil Postman critiques the optimistic view of technology, in an effort to counter the over enthusiasm of those who uncritically support technological progress. By tracing the historical development of technology, the author discusses specific ways in which technology controls everything from medicine to bureaucracy, from politics to religion. Postman concludes that we now live in a world that is approaching what he calls a "technopoly." He defines a technopoly as a system in which technology of every kind is granted sovereignty over social institutions and national life, and therefore technology becomes self-justifying, self-perpetuating, and omnipresent. Under such a system, individuality and freedom are undermined and constrained. Postman argues that to avoid becoming a technopoly, there must be an awareness of and resistance to the dangers of technopoly.
Sale, K. (1995). Rebels Against The Future. New York, NY: Addison Wesley. (Review by Mike Nagy.) Sale takes us to the England of 200 years ago, the age of the Luddites, and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Comparing the original Luddites and their cause to Neo-Luddites and the social and economic climate of the United States today, Sale draws very disturbing parallels. Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the true impact of a technological society on people and culture.
Shenk, D. Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut. Harper Collins. (Summarized by David Donnelly 2/11/98) David Shenk is not optimistic about the Information Age. Accurate and vital information is being choked by erroneous, useless and noxious "information pollution," he says, and predicts that the long-term effects of this trend are grave. His book is built on 13 "laws of data smog." Some of these laws are familiar laments, reiterated or restated as maxims. For example, law No. 3, which says that "computers are neither human nor humane," is an oft stated critique. Some of his laws undermine familiar rhetoric. No. 4 holds that "putting a computer in every classroom is like putting an electric power plant in every home." Prior to writing the book, Shenk was a self-described "Information Midas," downloading and storing vast quantities of digital information. His discussion of these laws builds upon personal experiences, anecdotes, revelations, confessions and the occasional statistic. For the rest of the summary please see the review in the Houston Chronicle.
Slouka, M. (1995). War of the Worlds: Cyberspace and the High-Tech Assault on Reality. NY: Basic Books. (Summarized by Abbie Watkins, 11/4/96). Mark Slouka's book is one person's thought-provoking attempt to keep the virtual world from destroying our perception of reality. Although convincing at times, Slouka's negative vision of how technology impacts our lives is rather one-sided. Slouka is quick to claim he is not a Luddite, but simply a humanist who is trying to save what he believes is critical to our survival: real life. Slouka fears that real life may be marked with an asterisk in the future in an effort to distinguish it from the world of illusion. In the book's six chapters, he discusses technology's attack on death, identity, place, community and reality itself. Slouka concludes with his viewpoint of essentialism and offers it as the key to saving real life. Throughout the book, Slouka argues that we must begin thinking about the positive and negative impacts of technology on our society and should always answer the question "why" when we introduce something new. He believes it is only with this constant questioning and awareness of technology's affect on us that we will be able to maintain a proper relationship with the world. Although Slouka's views are often extreme, if we think of this book as simply a "speedbump on the fiber-optic superhighway," it is instructive for we learn about the possible negative impacts of technology should we let it run our lives.
Spinello, R. (1995) Ethical Aspects of Information Technology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. (Summarized by Jim Williams, 11/4/96). Ethical Aspects of Information Technology is an excellent resource for discussions on the connection between ethics and information technology. By presenting case studies of various ethical issues, readers are given practical insight into the role ethics play in the application of information technology. The discussions are firmly grounded in the definitions and ideas presented by the author. One of the strengths of the book is the extensive coverage given to the general topic of ethics. The reader is provided with a general introduction to ethics; its history and future, as well as different applications. Only after a general understanding of ethics is achieved does Spinello move on to discuss the role ethics play in issues such as privacy, security, competition, and property. Only by considering possible outcomes, ethical issues, and looking ahead to the consequences of our transition into a technological environment can these recent technological advancements benefit society.
Springer, Claudia (1996). Electronic Eros, Bodies and Desire in the Postindustrial Age. Austin: the University of Texas Press. (Reviewed by Don Whitaker, 11/98) What postindustrial delights lie at the intersection of technology and eroticism? Springer describes the human tendency to describe machinery in terms of flesh and blood, and the '90's appetite for reducing flesh and blood to beautiful circuitry, as technoeroticism. Several manifestations of the technoerotic are described here. The near- future is seen to involve an inevitable melding of the human and the computer, via both the downloading of the disembodied personality and the inhabitation of a cyberspace semi-reality, where sexual relationships transcend the limitations of the body. For the computer adept with more immediate appetite, an entire industry exists to furnish him with sex- related game programs. Springer cites scholarly and philosophical writings as she explores these issues, as well as fiction, cinema, and television. The subject matter is fascinating; and she deals with these topics and more in a surprisingly dispassionate style.
Sreberny-Mohammadi, A. and Mohammadi, A. (1994). Small Media, Big Revolution: Communication Culture and the Iranian Revolution. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. (Summarized by Foad Izadi, 11/4/96). This book is an interesting recanting of how the various elements that made up the Iranian Revolution used communications technology to advance their goals. The book describes how informal networks of "small" media emerged, undermining the Shah's efforts to control the "big" media. The authors argue that the Shah's modernization project had created a dualistic society in Iran by the 1970s, one side secular and the other religious. They show how the Shah's technologically sophisticated media system was culturally ineffective in creating legitimacy for the regime. The revolution may be then understood as a victory for the oral tradition of the mosque, as it pitted audio cassette tapes of messages from the religious leaders against communications system of the national press and broadcasting.
Stephens, M. The Rise of the Image, the Fall of the Word. Oxford University Press. (Summarized by David Donnelly 12/13/98) The premise of The Rise of the Image and the Fall of the Word is contained in the title. While the declining significance of words and the increasingly central role of images in our culture isn't an original idea, this book offers a new take no familiar lament. What makes this volume unique is that the author, Mitchell Stephens, a professor of journalism and mass communication at New York University, argues that the trend should not trouble us. Video has the potential to, in his words, "present us with new mental vistas, to take us to new philosophic places, as writing once did, as printing once did." It has he asserts, the potential to be "better than print." Tapscott, D. (1997). Growing Up Digital: the Rise of the Net Generation McGraw-Hill. (Summarized by David Donnelly 2/11/98) Two countervailing precepts ground our discussions of cyberspace. One taps into our desires, the other into our fears. Our resulting ambivalence is most evident in our dialogues about the Internet and children. Depicted as an immensely powerful tool for both empowerment and corruption, the Internet poses a dilemma for parents and policy-makers as they grapple with the task of controlling perceived ill effects. These regulators, according to Don Tapscott and his Growing up Digital, have overstated the problems and underestimated the benefits of digital technology and misdirected their energies pursuing ill-conceived solutions. For the rest of the summary please see the review in the Houston Chronicle.
Wallace, J. & Mangan, M. (1996). Sex, laws, and cyberspace. NY:Henry Holt and Company, Inc. (Summarized by Shae Adkins, 11/4/96). Wallace and Mangan's book examines the moral, political and legal issues surrounding the proliferation of the World Wide Web. First Amendment rights vs. censorship provide the book's main thesis. In addressing this tension, the authors rely upon interviews with the key players at the center of this controversial debate. Sex, Laws, and Cyberspace begins by addressing a myriad of cases involving attempts to censor the Internet and other on-line services. Cases concerning pornographic bulletin boards (i.e., a California couple indicted for offending the community standards in Tennessee) or explicit, rather grotesque, stories posted on a Usenet (i.e., a University of Michigan student expelled and later charged with indirectly threatening a fellow student on the Net) have given politicians the ammunition to enact legislation such as the Communications Decency Act (CDA). Though cases surrounding libel, copyright infringement and encryption are less of a moral dilemma compared to the obscenity issue; they are nonetheless an important component of the censorship debate. In the chapters on Prodigy, the Church of Scientology and the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) software, we see how a business, a church and a government agency have all taken legal action to silence discourse on various on-line topics. The book also examines the legislative histories of film, radio, television, telephone and telegraph. Clearly, every new technology brings with it some good, but at the same time it provides a vehicle for transporting bad or useless ideas. Inevitably, there is confusion over the question of how to handle such technology. The powers that be feel a need to control the technology for the overall safety of the public. In doing so, they initially enact laws that are typically "hasty and wrong" and the Internet is no exception (p. 232). Thus, Wallace and Mangan feel that society would benefit immensely if these leaders are first able to understand the past of a communication technology before determining its future. Wallace and Mangan also provide a number of useful solutions to address the problems of speech in cyberspace, while avoiding infringement on freedom of speech. Most of the rules set forth are for the benefit of the Courts and the Legislature "who are making [the] decisions affecting cyberspace" (p. 253). First and foremost, the authors emphasize that the First Amendment applies to cyberspace as it would to any other medium. Additionally, indecency regulation, community standards and prior restraint are not warranted on the World Wide Web. Because the Net is essentially a printing press, the FCC should have no jurisdiction. Furthermore, anonymity and cryptography are "socially useful" for they protect an individual's right to privacy (p. 257). Finally, the authors advocate a voluntary self-rating system much like the one used for the movie industry. Such a system "would not harm anyone's rights" and would represent the only form of restriction valid for cyberspace (p. 259).
Wolff, Michael Burn Rate -- How I survived the Gold Rush Years on the Internet (1998). Simon & Schuster, New York. (Summarized by Shirley S. Taylor, 11/98) The charged relationships that were formed and fell apart during the heyday of the Internet mother lode being mined in the early 90's are vividly described in this personal adventure through the wilderness of cyberspace and a practical business world. The opportunity to become decadently wealthy is aptly expressed in the language of sexual slang that conveys the heady overwhelming impulse of those participating in an orgy of self-abandonment for anticipated, mind-boggling riches. OTHER BOOKS:
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