Podcast on "Techno-Fixes", Scientism and apocalyptic thinking (incl. "singularity")

[auroraglacialis]

He does not say that technology by itself is causing the problems, but that as you said, growth and the need for it (and consequently capitalism) is causing the problems. Hence his desire for a steady state (non capitalist) economy. This can still be a market based economy by the way. Capitalism and markets are not linked per default.

But he also says that problems are not solved by technology. Especially not if they are caused by things like growth, the economy or other social and political phenomena. This is what he calls a techno-fix - the illusion that technology can solve these problems without demanding society to change.

And of course there are some things implicit in many technologies. A TV for example is an apparatus that forces a person using it to sit down, pay attention to the screen, not pay attention to others around him and that causes some brainwave alteration resembling hypnosis. This has - no matter how great and educating the program or how dumb it is - the effect that people get individualized, separated from others, kept away from activities that requires their bodies to move. It also is a unidirectional communication device that lets one person talk to many who then cannot talk back but are passive consumers.
These are the "values" that are transported by television, idependent of how it is used or by whom. Computers and the internet have others. I think in the podcast were some other examples, I dont remember them right now.