Communication Technology and Cultural Politics

The ‘new’ communication technologies occupy a highly contingent place in social consciousness: at once central to our everyday lives, and yet capable of generating anxiety and uncertainty. This article traces some aspects of the relation of everyday people to new media technologies and evaluates the reception and impact of new technologies in their public contexts. Drawing on the thinking of writers such as Slavoj Z iz ek and Jonathan Crary, we argue that both the fears and celebrations of the media have a considerable lineage. We critically address issues of technological determinism, particularly examining the connection between new media technologies and the politics of global relations.