The persuasion of perception: Internet narratives in the public consciousness

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the influence on popular culture's representation of the work of technologists and 'geeks' on how the general public and policy makers perceive of both new technologies and those who adopt and adapt them. We argue that, over time, the media shorthand of imagery and stereotype are replicated and repeated until they become a default general model for understanding a complex and ever-changing technological landscape. Drawing on examples from the last forty years of Western popular culture, this paper explores the presentation-perception relationship as non-experts try to grasp complex digital innovation.