Andrew Corbitt

          Technological developments have become the defining moments and framework of society.  Stephen Kern's book, The Culture of Space and Time describes the dramatic change from a now antiquated society to a much more modern age.  Stephen Kern writes , "Technological developments are temporally specific events that often affect great numbers of people and as they are a compelling source for historical explanation. To avoid a monocausal technological determinism in cultural history, it is essential to clarify precisely how technology and culture interact."  Kern's book specifically discusses changes people experienced during in the late 19th and early 20th century.  The adoption of a standard time and the invention of the telegraph are examples of such "developments."  As Kern suggests, these developments can affect large numbers of people and interact uniquely with culture.  Standard time was initially slow to be adopted despite the obvious economic advantage it provided.   Train systems found in Europe are an example of a delayed acceptance and reduced economic benefit.  Trains would often run at low capacity or delay to given passengers more time to board, both do not maximize profits.   Once an absolute standard time was accepted, the invention of the telegraph then made it possible to transmit the time across the world for standardization.  The telegraph provided communication between different populations despite geographical location.  This innovation marks a historical forefront that leads to electric communication on a public level. 

          While Kern's book refers to the early 20th century, his analysis provides much insight into technological advances in modern society.  The PBS movie Digital Nation explores the relationship between technology and culture.  Modern society is constantly developing with new electronic devices and networking sites.  Opposed to Kern's selected time period, modern society is quick to try out, and accept advancements despite positive or negative effects.  The PBS movie investigates college students and the relationship they experience with modern technology.  Students were found to believe that they were able to check email, text their friends, check facebook, watch television and do their homework at the same time.  This was the perception of one college culture.  A study however showed just the opposite, that students were less able to perform higher level tasks while being distracted by electronic means. 
          Another relationship society experiences with modern technology is social networking sites, online games, and virtual worlds.  Rather than the conventional face to face interactions and conversations, society can now conduct everything from business to pleasure in an online virtual atmosphere.  Social networking sites such as facebook or match.com create virtual environments for people to meet, plan, and interact with each other,  companies like IBM can now conduct business online in virtual worlds and simulate a business meeting.  This online 'virtual world' facilitates communication between its employees regardless of geographical position.  While these online communication hubs are convenient, certain aspects of social mannerisms are lost.  Face to face interaction is still unique and cannot be accurately emulated in virtual outlets.  Facial expressions, hand gestures, and appearance allow for us to judge and base our social interactions and decisions.  Even in society today, Kern's analysis of development are consistent.  Technology affects an even greater population than in the early 20th century and our culture is now defined by the technology we are so quick to adopt.

Sources:
Kern, Stephen. The Culture of Time and Space, 1880 – 1918. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003. Print. Pages 1-35

Digital Nation. Dir. Rachel Dretzin. Perf. Douglas Rushkoff. Frontline, 2010. Documentary.