There’s no question that technology has shifted how humans communicate with each other, share information and consume content, it is also breaking social norms daily. Technology will always keep advancing whether we like it or not and it’s our job to make sure we learn the new tech platforms and devices or be part of the Stone Age era and get left behind. How does this affect social norms on an everyday basis? Well technology is breaking social norms by dismissing popular beliefs by people or culture which was accepted up until the point technology decided to change it.
Assuming were on the same page for the point I’m about to make which is that prior to 2007 before the release of the new IPHONE selfies weren’t a thing, especially food selfies. Now walking into a restaurant and seeing people take a food selfies, tag it with an emoji and send it to friends and family is the norm. Technology has changed human behaviour by breaking social norms and will continue to do so. Practices such as public vlogging still do feel weird and out of place, however in a few years it will appear normal to see multiple people walking the street talking directly to a device while recording.
Uber
Throughout most people’s childhoods parents insisted they should never speak to strangers, let alone enter their car. Now don’t get me wrong cab services and taxis have always been a thing. Not only that but in the UK for example the black cab is a part of the UK’s heritage and culture, hence the constance disputes between the black cab and Uber.
Never the less the Uber provided a safer option to get from one destination to another, as your able to see the face of your driver, have his/her number plate on record and can report issues directly to Uber.
It’s also the social norm to travel in the Uber with not only the driver you don’t know but if you select the Uber pool option the driver can pick up other people in the street going in the same direction as you. Meaning even more strangers in the car, but this is what technology has done and is now seen as the normality between human beings.
Tinder/Online Dating
Online dating has been around since the beginning of the internet really taking off in 1995, however there was a massive negative stigma attached to the idea of speaking to someone over the World Wide Web.
Now as you wait for your friend in a coffee shop to pass time you swipe left or you swipe right.
Back in 1995 if you were looking to date and someone suggested joining an online site you would probably think their creepy and dismiss the idea, now you’re probably all for it – picking the right profile picture to catch attention in the first second, ensuring your bio doesn’t put people off and showing your friends your matches!
Mostly used by millennials, tinder has not only been used for people to hook up but has influenced popular culture to view online dating as the norm. Tinder has been referenced in poster adverts, TV shows and music. It’s the norm now that’s for sure!
Food Selfies
Your Grandma doesn’t understand it one bit and thinks it’s silly, your mum is probably of the same belief, you on the other hand
a. Adore the food presentation
b. Have to let people know what you ate (Humble Brag)
c. Just want to save the memory in the camera roll
d. All the above
Regardless to what it is taking food selfies is now a standard “thing”. Walking into the new Thai restaurant all your colleagues have been taking about only makes you want to visit it more. Taking the food selfie and snapping it to those same colleagues’ is just the thing to do now! Not only to share it with others but taking food has selfies also become social proof for people. A good food selfie goes a long way!
Public Vlogging
Now I’ll go ahead and admit this one myself still feels weird, this still hasn’t yet become the norm for me yet. I know this as I would still feel weird walking around London or New York with a camera to my face taking directing into it while walking through a busy crowed area.
Here’s the thing though, most people who notice people doing this now assume your public vlogging and don’t care, as far as there concerned they probably just want to get home. Technology advances has allowed everyone with a smart phone the ability to now self-recording themselves with a High definition camera.
This might be the lesser off all the social norms mentioned in the article, but give it another few years it will also become standard practice.
Fashion
I included fashion as I felt many people have now realised in 2019 the best thing to be is themselves, the more themselves they are the more like-minded people are gravitated towards them. Fashion is an area which has seen many influencers be inspired by different things. Some inspired by not so trendy fashion pieces, some going for a completely different spin on what’s current and others pure hype beasts. Regardless previous social norms don’t exist anymore for people who would once consider themselves outsides, as we now have platforms such as Instagram where an individual has the ability to attract a following for being themselves as using fashion to express this individuality.
As I stated before technology is only going to keep advancing with things such as Amazon Alexa giving us the ability to talk to devices by ordering food, searching for weekend gigs and any other information or virtual reality taking up larger portions of peoples time which today doesn’t exist as much but will do once it becomes more normal as peoples beliefs and experiences are shaped by these advancements.
Breaking social norms is only going to continue, Comment below on some other social norms you see changing in the next few years.
For more articles on tech and culture check out Nike – House of Innovation
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