In the early 21st century, many people were worried about the potential for technology to create moral panics. This is a term that refers to a sudden and large-scale change in behavior that could be harmful or dangerous. There have been several examples of technological moral panics in recent history. For example, the Panic of 1907 was caused by worries about new technologies like Edison’s electric light bulb and the telephone. The Panic led to a decrease in business activity and a rise in prices. The Panic also caused a lot of social unrest. Another example of a technological moral panic was the Dot-com Bubble burst in 2000. This happened because people were worried about the potential for technology to make it easier for people to make money online. The Bubble burst because there was too much speculation and not enough reality check.
At Wired they highlight the work of Genevieve Bell and her studies of how society reacts to new technology:
Why We Freak Out About Some Technologies but Not Others [Wired]
First, it has to change our relationship to time. Then it has to change our relationship to space. And, crucially, it has to change our relationship to one another. Individually, each of these transformations can be unsettling, but if you hit all three? Panic!
