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Technological determinism is a reductionist doctrine that a society's technology determines its cultural values, social structure, or history. Technological determinism has been summarized as 'The belief in technology as a key governing force in society ...' (Merritt Roe Smith), '... the belief that social progress is driven by technological innovation, which in turn follows an "inevitable" course.' (Michael L. Smith), 'The idea that technological development determines social change ...' (Bruce Bimber), '... the belief that technical forces determine social and cultural changes.' (Thomas P. Hughes); '... a three-word logical proposition: "Technology determines history"' (Rosalind Williams) The term is believed to have been coined by Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929), an American sociologist. Most interpretations of technological determinism share two general ideas: Technological determinism stands in opposition to the theory of the social construction of technology, which holds that both the path of innovation and the consequences of technology for humans are strongly if not entirely shaped by society itself, through the influence of culture, politics, economic arrangements, and the like. Technological determinism has been largely discredited within academia, especially by science and technology studies. However, it remains the dominant view within most news media and popular culture.
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