Technophilia

Technophilia is, in its simplest definition, a strong enthusiasm for technology, especially newer technologies such as computers, the Internet, cell phones and home theater. It is not currently considered a psychological condition or a disorder, but is used in sociology when examining the interaction of individuals with their society, especially contrasted with technophobia.

The idea of technophilia used occasionally in the critical theory of society describes the new forms of enthusiasm for new technologies and technological innovations.

Technophilia and technophobia are the two extremes of the relationship between technology and society. The latter regards technology as destructive because it leads to a process of dehumanization and believes social reliance on technology is harmful. The former is a positive relationship, adopting technology enthusiastically, seeing it as a means to improve personal life and combat social problems. Transhumanism is sometimes considered to be the most extreme form of technophilia, as its adherents work towards a future in which technology will allow us to replace human beings entirely, through one means or another.

The Spanish sociologist Manuel Castells has examined the changed interactions between technology and the society in his writings about The Information Age.

In common usage, technophiles are sometimes known as geeks.

Recently, the idea of technophilia is also used in connection with a behavior which realizes forms of sexual deviance with the help of the computer and the Internet. -Citation Needed-