Social construction of technology

Social construction of technology (SCOT) is a theory that looks at how people create, think about, and use technology in different ways. It is sometimes called “technological determinism,” which means that technology is a tool used by society to create and shape social and cultural systems.

In SCOT, people think of technology as more than just machinery and tools, but rather as an individual – something that we can shape, create, and develop. People create technology to help solve problems in the world and to make life easier. But our ideas about how technology works and how it’s used changes over time. So, the way technology is used, interpreted, and understood can be shaped by our beliefs, values, and social expectations.

To use an example, computers today are used for things like online shopping, online banking, and entertainment. But when computers were first invented, people were using them for things like scientific analysis and military research. So, people have changed the way they use computers over time, and this change is a result of social construction.

In short, the social construction of technology is the idea that people shape and create technology to fit their own needs, and that these needs can change over time.