Technologies are cultures and not simply tools. Geeks, gamers, technophobes, phreaks, demosceners, nerds, hackers, cyberathletes, newbies, crackers: these terms and many others describe technological cultures that have evolved within the context of telephone, television, and computer technologies.

Such cultures share both the positive and negative aspects common to cultures in general. Positive benefits include group identity and cohesion, collaborative activity, and interpersonal connection. Negative consequences include potential addiction, isolation, and diversion from self-care and relationships.

Cultures evolve by way of shared language and behavior. The shared languages and behaviors of the cultures of technology involve memes (or temes):

meme: a cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior)

that is passed from one generation to another by nongenetic means (as by imitation); memes are the cultural counterpart of genes.

Technology Memes

To understanding addiction is to understand culture

• Cultures define the nature of addiction.
• Individuals learn cultural identity in childhood.
• Individuals choose cultures of inclusion in adolescence.
• Adolescence is also the age during which addiction begins.

Addiction is an aspect of every culture. The behaviors which lead to addiction are positive urges thwarted by negative circumstances. Almost all habitual substance users are searching for a means of dealing with psychological stress that is usually associated with childhood and adolescent development.

The future addict is drawn to a culture which promises to complete the unfinished impulses of childhood and adolescence. Opiate users are drawn to cultures of solace. Stimulant users are drawn to cultures of empowerment. Hallucinogen users are drawn to cultures of inclusion.

The cultures of technology are sufficiently broad as to offer the psychological rewards of all the cultures of substance use combined.