Tech & Society Lab | Sociology and History of Technology

"We become what we behold. We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us."
   ― Marshall McLuhan

The “great rewiring” of childhood began decades before smartphones and social media exploded onto the scene in the mid-2010s. Since the 1950s, mainstream technological developments such as air conditioning and television have gradually undermined interdependence by making life alone more comfortable and entertaining. During the 1980s and 1990s, social trust began to erode for a variety of reasons. As people grew more wary of their neighbors, parents became reluctant to allow their children outside without supervision (Gray, 2011). The version of childhood characterized by independent outdoor play began to fade. Meanwhile, digital technologies provided increasingly convenient alternatives to interacting with or relying on others. By the time social media arrived, we were already living in an increasingly fragmented and isolated society.

At the Tech & Society Lab, we study the history and sociology of technology. How have previous technological developments set the stage for the phone-based childhood? How have they shaped our values, thinking, and communication over time? How does the impact of social media on society compare to the impact of radio and television? We analyze historical parallels to better understand the present and draw on literature from history, sociology, and economics.