Technorealism is an attempt to expand the middle ground betweentechno-utopianism andNeo-Luddism by assessing the social and political implications oftechnologies so that people might all have more control over the shape of theirfuture.[1] An account cited that technorealism emerged in the early 1990s and was introduced byDouglas Rushkoff andAndrew Shapiro. In theTechnorealism manifesto, which described the term as a new generation of cultural criticism, it was stated that the goal was not to promote or dismiss technology but to understand it so the application could be aligned with basic human values.[2] Technorealism suggests that a technology, however revolutionary it may seem, remains a continuation of similar revolutions throughout human history.[3]
The technorealist approach involves a continuous critical examination of how technologies might help or hinder people in the struggle to improve the quality of their lives, their communities, and their economic, social, and political structures.[4] In addition, instead of policy wonks, experts, and the elite, it is the technology critic who assumes the center stage in the discourse of technology policy issues.[1]
Although technorealism began with a focus on U.S.-based concerns aboutinformation technology, it has evolved into an international intellectual movement with a variety of interests such asbiotechnology andnanotechnology.[5]