# New Commo Tech \> Rapid Social Change Correlation Or Causality?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-commo-tech-rapid-social-change-correlation-or-causality/571407>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 15, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-commo-tech-rapid-social-change-correlation-or-causality/571407 "2011-02-15T02:56:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-commo-tech-rapid-social-change-correlation-or-causality/571407/1 "2011-02-15T02:56:18Z")

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New Communications Tech + 10-20 years = A burst of rapid social upheaval?

[ul]  
[li]1840s --steam powered printing presses & telegraph[/li][li]1850s Anti-slavery movement[/li][li]Late 19th Cent Phonographs, telephones.[/li][li]Late 19th Century Rise of labor unions, foundation of modern political Liberalism[/li][li]Early 20th Cent–radio[/li][li]1920s Womens Sufferage & Roaring 20s cultural changes[/li][li]1950s widespread introduction of TV[/li][li]Late 50s/60s–radical change.[/li][li]80s/90s–Home computers & the Web[/li][li]Early 21st Cent–Gay Rights & 1st African-American President, Internet-driven uprisings in Tunesia, Egypt, & perhaps soon…Iran?[/li][/ul]

Is this causation or causality?

Does innovation in communications tech create rapid social change?

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**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-commo-tech-rapid-social-change-correlation-or-causality/571407/2 "2011-02-15T03:15:38Z")

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I think that in this case you are picking and choosing, but in general I think communication technology does have a strong connection to social change. In many ways, communication technology plays a vital role in creating and cementing identities, and changing identities can lead to large social impacts.

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-commo-tech-rapid-social-change-correlation-or-causality/571407/3 "2011-02-15T23:20:08Z")

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Hmm…