Technology's Societal Impact

The cluster centers on debates about whether technology benefits or harms society and human well-being, with criticisms of over-fetishization, soul-eating effects, and failure to fix human nature contrasted against defenses of its improvements and connectivity.

➡️ Stable 0.5x Politics & Society
6,048
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#4451
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
4
2008
30
2009
80
2010
96
2011
119
2012
160
2013
249
2014
198
2015
212
2016
296
2017
343
2018
357
2019
336
2020
378
2021
480
2022
577
2023
778
2024
638
2025
661
2026
56

Keywords

ycombinator.com AI HN technology tech society progress techno use technology new technology ted human nature bottle

Sample Comments

ethanwillis Dec 22, 2025 View on HN

The better solution? To not fetishize technology.

shove Feb 19, 2019 View on HN

Love to downvote anyone suggesting that technology has consequences

cudgy Aug 4, 2021 View on HN

Nice story. Tech is not always an improvement. In fact, the more years I live, the less enamored with tech I’ve become due to many examples like this.

nickik Jan 5, 2019 View on HN

Its not viable to stop the world from using technology and use it just because it goes against your personal preference.

mdotk Jun 9, 2017 View on HN

humanity serves technology... like being glued to a screen all day

0xpgm Oct 19, 2023 View on HN

True. Sometimes we pursue technology to its own ends forgetting that technology is supposed to help humans.

PascLeRasc Jan 8, 2019 View on HN

I think about this "tech has it so much better" take often: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11370776

darawk Nov 10, 2018 View on HN

You think that all tech is doing is destroying society?

notyourwork Jul 21, 2020 View on HN

Takes a bit of perspective shift to realize tech is a means to end and not the end itself.

Aelinsaar Jul 15, 2016 View on HN

Point me to the change in human nature, and not the change in technology please.