Temptation and Seduction in the Technological Milieu
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20359236 |
|---|---|
| Authors | J M Van Der Laan (Illinois State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2004 |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 509-514 |
| Publication date | 2004-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Bulletin of Science Technology & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0270-4676 • E-ISSN: 1552-4183 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0270467604270258 |
| OpenAlex | W2165348219 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 1 |
Jacques Ellul’s work on propaganda provides the basis for this analysis of life in technology. Advertising and the mass media rely on temptation and seduction and create a constant flow of propaganda, all of which serve the technological system. Propaganda aims to condition and regulate us so that we participate in and adapt ourselves to a desired pattern, specifically an existence adjusted to and in accord with the technological milieu. Technology tempts and seduces us with its promise and provision of comfort, convenience, and efficiency. Above all, technology tempts and seduces us with power: power over nature and over human beings. Naively and paradoxically, we believe we have power over technology, even though it actually has power over us. Our immersion in a sea of temptation and seduction, of constant and total propaganda, may seem inescapable; however, to criticize and challenge the primacy of technology is to reassert our freedom
Aesthetics · Economics · Epistemology · Sociology · Technological change · Temptation · Computer Science · Media, Communication, and Education · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.2 |
| Citation span | 2006 - 2019 (14) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |