27 Does Technology Come First, or Do We?

We often assume that what happens in virtual spaces stays there, yet our digital interactions routinely spill over into our offline existence. This raises a profound tension: does our technology serve to augment our human abilities, or does it ultimately shape and restrict our social systems?

In this episode, we dive into the foundational theories of Computer Mediated Communication. We discuss how digital channels serve as active intermediaries that co-shape our subjectivity and world perception. By looking at how technology functions, we can understand why our design choices and usage norms are deeply intertwined.

• The advantage of taking a functional approach to digital channels to ensure our understanding outlasts specific, rapidly changing devices.
• How technological relations actively co-shape our subjectivity, altering both who we are and the world we experience.
• The ways in which algorithms and content moderation policies serve as non-neutral structures that govern modern free speech.
• A historical perspective on text-based online forums and why virtual violations can cause lasting distress and real-world job loss.

The historical case of the text-based community LambdaMoo in 1993 highlights how virtual actions, even when completely text-based and lacking physical contact, can result in deep and permanent emotional trauma for real individuals.

How might your online habits change if you treated every digital action as having direct, permanent consequences in your physical life?