Technology's role in the confusion of needs and wants

Theodore John Rivers

Technology in Society, 2008, vol. 30, issue 1, 104-109

Abstract: Although wants are virtually unlimited whereas needs are limited, technology facilitates the transformation of wants into needs, and therefore seems to elevate desires into necessities. This transformation confuses needs and wants. Because we have conditioned ourselves to the presence of technology, we now have so-called “technological needs,” many of which are of recent development. Some needs that technology addresses are falsely placed, and some are not needs at all; others have existed before technology came into being. Although need is an ambiguous term, technology intensifies this ambiguity.

Keywords: Technology; Needs; Wants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:teinso:v:30:y:2008:i:1:p:104-109

DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2007.10.001

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