Technological Change and its Large Impact on the Radio Industry

After discussing the various forces that impacted the diffusion of the radio industry in the 1920s in lecture on Wednesday, I have come to the conclusion that technological change had the largest impact on the rise and fall of the radio industry, beginning in the 1920s. Technological change created a large demand for the radio in homes all across the United States and remained a large part of society for several years until technology continued to improve, which ultimately lead to the fall of the industry.

Technological change has been a driving force behind countless industries in the United States for several years. One large theory behind technological change is the idea of cultural determinism or SST. Cultural determinism is the idea that technology and society effect each other in a two-way relationship. Technology is influenced by social necessities and by society at large. Meanwhile, society is influenced by new technologies and the effect that they have on society as a whole. This theory is contrary to the also popular theory of technological determinism. Technological determinism is the claim that there is a one way relationship between technology and society. Technology is viewed as the dominant factor and society is powerless to its influence and society.

In my opinion, the diffusion of the radio industry is largely based on the idea of cultural determinism, rather than technological determinism. In the 1920s, there was a large demand for society to receive information at a very high speed. In addition, there was a social demand for entertainment in homes. On one hand, the demand for a technology such as the radio created the rapid diffusion of the technology. On the other hand, as we saw in "Radio Days", the spread of the use of the radio deeply effected society. The radio provided a new way for families to come together. It effected the way that stay-at-home moms spent their days. The radio was constantly playing in the background of homes. It was not only a news source for families, but also a new source of entertainment by playing soap operas, musicals and dramas over the airwaves. Essentially, family members, particularly the women, were living vicariously through the stories they heard through the radio. Ultimately, however, technological change lead to the fall of the radio industry as the demand for new technologies, such as the TV and the internet, began to replace the prominent role that the radio played in homes across the US.