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A dilemma is commonly understood as a choice between two evils. The technological dilemma exists because of our increased dependence on technology--the same technology that could result in a lesser quality of life or even the endangerment of society itself. When considering the new communication media it is important to understand that digital transformation happens within a context of the social fabric of society. According to Winner (1995) the digitization of society is not without consequences. He described the process as, "a vast, ongoing experiment whose ramifications no one fully comprehends" (p. 2). Ellul (1990) argued that, "All technical progress has three kinds of effects: the desired, the foreseen, and the unforeseen" (p. 61). Of course the great challenge is to recognize the possible negative effects before it is too late. Unfortunately, technological advances seldom announce their less desirable side effects. But even if they did, would we have the courage to make the difficult choices? Who could have predicted the disintegration of the inner cities and the toll on the environment often attributed to the automobile, or the loss of community and literacy following the diffusion of television? Perhaps the dilemma is even more basic. Ellul's on-going premise is that the individual has had to adapt to life in a technical milieu rather than the other way around. In a more graphic illustration Ralph Waldo Emerson offered, "Things are in the saddle and ride mankind" thus capturing the notion of a topsy-turvy world where technology has run amok. To reify, and even anthropomorphise [15], technology is common in literature and culture. One reason for this may be our feeling of helplessness at the hands of technology and tools of our making. Contrary to their intended purpose, our inventions appear to be set on making life miserable for us. And when technology threatens to get out of control, history has shown our first reaction has often been to respond with force.
Frederick Winslow Taylor, in his The Principles of Scientific Management (1967), applied the scientific principle of logical positivism to the social structure of the industrial workplace. In the introduction to his book Taylor wrote, "in the past the man has been first, in the future the system must be first" (p. 7). Neil Postman (1993) called Taylor's philosophy the beginning of "technopoly", "the idea that society is best served when human beings are placed at the disposal of their techniques and technology, that human beings are, in a sense, worth less than their machinery" (p. 52). This perception of technology has spawned numerous revolts against technological progress, especially as it was perceived to impact a workers ability to make a living. "In the 19th century, Belgian weavers took to 'accidentally' dropping their heavy wooden clogs (sabots) into the delicate mechanism of the loom, giving rise to the expression 'sabotage'" (Rybczynski, 1983, p. 10).
In stark contrast to technological determinism, history has demonstrated that social group can and have effectively resisted technology. When one thinks of organized resistance to technology, two groups often come to mind; the Luddites and the Amish. While the former are frequently referenced in discussions about technology and society, the Amish are frequently overlooked. It should also be noted that the Luddite uprising caused only a brief delay in the progress of technology in rural England, while the Amish have been much more effective in resisting technology, and that over a much greater length of time.
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