Winston, like George Orwell in his book “1984,” touches on a possibility of having a technological system that influences every aspect within a community setting. His optimism is founded on an argument that has continued to be debated within the echelon of politics, economics, and social standings. Addressing today’s society, as argued by Winston, technology offers an avenue through which more accurate and precise decisions can be made quickly. Winston optimism is true as technology continues to influence decision-making not only in the industrial and economic fields, but also within the larger human society.
Winston starts his writing by pointing out on the overall effect of technology in today’s tech-savvy society. The level of dependency that humans have on technology has made it impossible to imagine a life without technology. Unlike during the ancient society, technology is a “need” that contributes significantly to the growth and development of people; either socially, politically, or economically. This dependency has empowered humans to seek ways and means in which technology will help in simplifying the day-to-day activities.
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In today’s democracy, as noted by Winston, the power of political change does not lie in the hands of the politicians, but in the hands of every citizen holding a gadget. As noted during the Arab Spring Uprising, technology holds a very huge influence in the making of political decisions in today’s society (Kreiss 2016). Even in countries like United States that boast of a very sophisticated tech system, the political arena has not been spared. Technology has been advanced to provide statistics and influence major decisions in important fields both in and out of government. It is a system that permeates into all forms of decision-making in the society.
The breadth of effect by technology in influencing constructive political deliberation has been the question most experts have been trying to discern. This deliberation has been answered through three very crucial democratic processes that have been held very recently. The democratic decision in Britain to leave the European Union, United States election of Donald Trump as the president, and the fall of Gambia’s incumbent president, has shown us that technology is today an essential tool in political deliberation. Political system can no longer depend on their word of mouth and the main stream media to influence public opinion (McGinnis 2012). Technology has provided a platform through social media that has removed the power of change from the autocrats and given it over to the people. The people through opinionated comments, sharing of messages, reporting, and criticism influence political issues in a broader public forum.
As envisioned by Winston, it is no longer a question of “who,” but rather a question of “how well.” Economic decisions are made depending on technological estimates. Policies are formulated depending on held online polls, and political systems choose to undertake major decisions depending on held public opinion. Democracy no longer belongs to a political crass, but to technology as a tool that is used to influence either positive perspectives. In the words of Beth Simone Noveck, technology has provided a means to an end through which social justice, democracy, and efficiency is attained.
Technology as a tool of public and democracy influence cannot be ignored, nor can its significance in decision making. Democracy, due to social media technology, is no longer an issue of what the political elite believe, but what the public wants. The definition of democracy clears states that the will of the majority should be used as the element of making a decision. Technology has accorded the political system the democratic ability to make decisions that adhere to a majority of the electorates without necessarily going back to them. As stated by Winston, technology continues to provide an avenue that help societies identify and choose those technologically-assessed options that ensure adoption of positive democratic measures.
References
Kreiss, D. (2016). Prototype Politics: Technology-Intensive Campaigning and the Data of Democracy (Oxford Studies in Digital Politics). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
McGinnis, J. (2012). Accelerating Democracy: Transforming Governance through Technology . New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Winston, M. Children of Invention Revisited.
