Technophilia

Etymology

The word technophile is said to have originated in the 1960s as an "unflattering word introduced by technophobes". The idea of technophilia can be used to focus on the larger idea on how technology can create strong innovative positive feelings about different technologies. On the other hand, sometimes technology can prevent an accurate view on environmental and the social impact of technology when it comes to society. Technophiles also are not afraid of the effects that today's developed technologies have on society compared to technophobes.

Narcissism through technophilia

Many forms of technology are seen as venerable because the user experiences them as the embodiment of their own narcissism. Technophiles enjoy using technology and focus on the egocentric benefits of technology rather than seeing the potential issues associated with using technology too frequently. The notion of addiction is often negatively associated with technophilia, and describes technophiles who become too dependent on the forms of technology they possess.

Technological utopia

Technophiles may view technology's interaction with society as creating a utopia, cyber or otherwise, and a strong indescribable futuristic feeling. "In the utopian stories, technologies are seen as natural societal developments, improvements to daily life, or as forces that will transform reality for the better. Dystopian reactions emphasize fears of losing control, becoming dependent, and being unable to stop change". Both utopian and dystopian streams are weaved in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (1932) and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949).

References

References

1. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dte%2Fxnh τέχνη], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus
2. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dfi%2Flos2 φίλος], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus
3. "Technophilia." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Company 23 Sep. 2012 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/technophilia
4. Richards, Barry. "Technophobia and Technophilia." British Journal of Psychotherapy 10.2 (1993): 188–95. Print.
5. Baym, Nancy. "Personal Connections In the Digital Age". Cambridge: Polity Press, 2010. p.24
6. "Tenner, Edward. "Confessions Of A Technophile." Raritan 22.1 (2002): 135. Web.
7. Osiceanu, Maria-Elena. (2015-05-05). "Psychological Implications of Modern Technologies: "Technofobia" versus "Technophilia"". Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences.
8. On the contrast between Huxley and Orwell on that issue, see [[Michel Weber]]'s "[https://www.academia.edu/5958407/Aldous_Huxley_and_George_Orwell_on_the_political_use_of_technoscience_2013 Aldous Huxley and George Orwell on the political use of technoscience]," The Condemned Playground, Balliol College, Oxford University, September 1 / September 4, 2013.