Verbeek, P. (2006). ACTING ARTIFACTS: The technological mediation of action. In P.P. Verbeek and A. Slob (Eds.), User Behavior and Technology Development: Shaping Sustainable Relations Between Consumers and Technologies (pp. 53–60).

While looking through a philosophical lens, Verbeek discusses various relationships between human behaviour and technology. More specifically, Verbeek introduces the idea of "technological artifacts" as those are responsible for how humans perceive and respond to the environment they find themselves in (p. 54). Technological innovations act as "mediators" between humans and their world (p.54). He provides a great example of eye glasses and explains that we look through them into the world (p.55). He further states that our reality has to have meaning and that reality is possible to experience because "humans and their world are always interrelated" (p. 57). Verbeek also introduces "technological intentionalities" and suggests that this is how we interpret technology (p. 55). For example, a telephone was originally created to serve as a hearing aid, whereas presently, we use it to communicate and correspond with others. Moreover, Verbeek states that "mediating technology determines human perception" as well as it "determines interpretations of our reality" because what humans do is often co-shaped by the things they use (p.56). This is something I have never thought if myself. In order to explain the reasoning behind his theory, he presents the reader with a very unique instance of a microwave. The author shows how the technology such as the microwave, has not merely been designed to speed up the process of warming up our meals. Possibly it was the intension of the designer, but somehow, microwave has originated too offer service to a single person - one person frozen meal. As a result, microwave invites people to eat individually, which in turn weakens "the culture of the table" (p.56).

Verbeek reflects ideas we discussed in class - technological determinism provides a cause and effect relationship between society and technology where technology (sometimes seen as a cause and other times as an effect) plays an important role in shaping social structure and cultural values. And vice versa - society also often shapes and creates technology based on common values that we share. It is difficult to criticize this article, as I agree with everything the author presents. Another intriguing example he brings to our attention is about hammer and nail. When a person uses a hammer, he/she pays attention primarily to the nail. And it is very interesting that only when hammer breaks, that person will notice the hammer and its importance.

Page author: Aleks Migorska