From the printing press to TikTok – technology that shaped democracy
Theme: Tech & Democracy
In the coming Swedish election, AI and TikTok may influence the voters. But this is not the first time that new technology has shaped the course of society – for better or for worse – when it comes to democracy and freedom.
“You might not think of the bicycle as a great heroic invention of the industrial age, but it can be described as a machine for freedom. Not least, it made it easier for women to participate in society,” says Per Högselius, Professor of History of Technology at KTH.
According to Högselius, technological advances have historically contributed to creating a more just society, even if the path has not always been straightforward. Technological and democratic development have gone hand in hand since the mid-19th century. As the railway network expanded, society was electrified and the telephone made its way into Swedish homes – the elementary school (1842), parliamentarianism (1917) and universal suffrage for women (1921) were also introduced. Incidentally, 1921 was also the year when women were first allowed to study at KTH.
Driving the issue of suffrage
New modes of transport and means of communication made it easier to communicate, travel, meet up and, consequently, organise. Per Högselius explains that a clear example of this is the introduction of efficient printing presses in the mid-19th century, which made it possible to print thousands of newspaper pages in record time.
“More people could read the newspaper and discuss important issues. People became aware of their situation in relation to society, and this stimulated the development of various social movements, such as the labour movement and the temperance movement, which in turn have been very important in driving the issue of suffrage,” Högselius says.
The telephone arrived in Sweden in the late 19th century. Initially, it was an expensive status symbol, but thanks to Henrik Tore Cedergren (a civil engineer trained at the Institute of Technology, later KTH) and Lars Magnus Ericsson joining forces to sell cheaper telephones “to every household”, usage grew exponentially. For a period in the 1880s, Stockholm became both the city with the highest telephone density and the city with the most telephones in the world.
It would not be until the 1940s that the telephone was truly present in almost every household in Sweden. Like all new technology, it was not used exclusively for good purposes, Högselius points out.
“The telephone became an early example of how technology can be exploited for both democratic and undemocratic purposes. It also became a form of surveillance technology.”
Technology and politics
Technological developments have also helped vulnerable groups to empower themselves within society, and assistive technology has opened entirely new opportunities for people with disabilities during the 20th century compared to earlier times. This is a clear example of how new inventions can make society more equitable. However, Högselius also believes it is important to turn the whole argument on its head and see how democracy, in the broadest sense, has contributed to the development of new technology.
“The political system does, after all, have a major influence on the conditions and circumstances that enable inventors and engineers to develop new technology,” Högselius says. “When compulsory primary education was introduced in 1842, a trend began whereby more young people were able to receive an education and thus absorb and contribute to new developments in knowledge and technology. This is often cited as a fundamental factor in Sweden’s emergence as a nation of innovation.”
Professor Högselius offers a final a word of caution against blindly viewing technological development as a guarantee of democracy.
“One must also consider how visionaries have sometimes painted a fantastically democratic future driven by new technology, but then things haven’t turned out as envisaged. Perhaps this is true to some extent of the internet,” Högselius says. “It is never just the technology itself that makes a difference; it is how people choose to use the technology that matters.”
Jon Lindhe ( jlindhe@kth.se )