Tech Update: Sex and Society Forever Changed by Technology

Technology has a track record of transforming society and although people may not always think about this aspect, sexual relations have been drastically changed as a result as well. In this article I will explore specifically a few of the ways in which technology has transformed both sex and society.

In a recent article published by FT entitled 'Technology and bicycles transform sex and society' many interesting points were made that I'd like to share here.

In his book The Discovery of France, the historian Graham Robb describes how the sale of 4m bicycles before the first world war had a striking impact on French society. One consequence was probably to make the French taller. As Robb writes: “A boy with a bicycle could leave his pays in search of a job or bride and be back in time for dinner, which is why the bicycle has been credited with increasing the average height of the French population by reducing the number of marriages between blood relations.” The French love of the bicycle, it seems, encouraged passion of a different kind.

According to this historian bicycles (a new form of technology at the time to many) had the effect of enabling males to search for mates at a longer distance and has been credited with increasing the average height of the French!

The internet may be having a similar effect as it broadens the social connections that people make. Steve Jobs once even described computers as bicycles for our minds, although their ability to facilitate amorous liaisons, like the pre-first world war velocipedes, was probably not what he had in mind.

I would agree with Steve Jobs and his comparison to computers as bicycles for the mind. They have allowed us to explore ideas and concepts in ways we could have never imagined before their existence. We can create models and simulations that would have been physically impossible due to limitations of resources.

The sociologist Mark Granovetter theorised about the strength of weak ties. According to this idea, you are more likely to find a job through a loose acquaintance than a close friend because they can access a broader network of contacts. That is the appeal of LinkedIn.

I've never been a big fan of LinkedIn but when it first came out I recognized its power to open doors and present opportunities for career advancements but I can honestly say I haven't used the platform as a way to advance my own career even after recognizing its potential.

This chart is extremely interesting. Notice how the nature of heterosexual couples and how they met their partners has changed as technology has advanced. When once they primarily met through friends nowadays online encounters are almost at the point of overtaking the power of friends for the establishment of new relationships.

Clearly technology has played a very important role in the evolution of both sexual relations and society!

What are your thoughts on this topic? Will technology continue to transform society to the point that it is no longer recognizable when compared to societal norms of today? Are sexual encounters ever more likely to occur as a catalyst of online interaction?

Please leave comments and feedback below!

Thanks for reading.

Source:

Technology and bicycles transform sex and society - FT