All technologies impact the society in which they are used. Toffler (1970) succinctly describes technology's impact when he writes that ``new machines do more than suggest or compel changes in other machines - they suggest novel solutions to social, philosophical, even personal problems ... they alter man's total intellectual environment - the way he thinks an looks at the world''. Segal (1994) adds an important point when he writes that ``if, as in the significant case of the auto, modern technology solved a number of problems, social as well as technical, from the outset it simultaneously bred or helped to breed several others, social and technical alike''.
A number of factors play a role in determining the rate at which an innovation or new technology will be adopted. It can be said that the technological superiority of an innovation plays a relatively minor role in determining its success. Many other factors, most of them relating to the social factors present at the adopting site, play just as large a role as technological superiority in influencing the success or failure of an innovation.
As discussed earlier in this report, technological failure is not only defined by commercial success, whether in terms of quantity sold or popularity. However, many products that adopt such technological advances are then used commercially solely for financial gain; therefore, in order to succeed, such products must be commercially viable and create demand amongst consumers. Hence, whether or not the product sells depends on the consumer, and because the way in which they behave, think or react is hugely influenced by the society they belong to, society ultimately decides the success or failure of the technology. This contributed to the failure of the C5, which was designed for use by any member of society of any age. Parents, however, due to the low design and thus poor visibility to other road users, were apprehensive to use the vehicle, let alone allow their children to drive it and this lack of demand was clearly visible in the sales figures of the C5.
Different religions have different beliefs and values which may affect the way people look at or react to certain products or technologies. For example, Catholics do not believe in birth control; therefore, products such as contraceptive pills and condoms would have a low chance of succeeding in a society where most of its people were strictly followed Catholicism. However, certain beliefs and values may be common in more than one religion or are just generally present in the society due to the way people live or raised. For example, the belief that God is the Creator is something that many people live by, and as remarkable an achievement it may be for mankind to create another man, the creation of a human being through science is something that will never be accepted in many societies. It is something which many believe is wrong because moral boundaries have been crossed. Despite being advanced and technically perfect, cloning, genetic engineering, cryogenics and organ farms may never succeed in this world for their intended use, as a result of the religious and moral factors involved.
The judging of what is right or wrong is highly subjective. One can argue that God never intended us to create another human being. Conversely, did he mean for us to create artificial hearts to help heart patients, prosthetic limbs to enable accident victims to walk again or to transplant kidneys to another body so that someone can lead a normal life? It is clear that there is no one law that governs the way in which a society thinks. The views of society can change depending on the situation, such that something that may not be accepted at present, could be accepted in years to come.
A technology or product may be successful initially for all the benefits or usefulness that it was designed to bring about, and it does so, but then later labelled a disaster because it led to effects or events that were never intended to happen. Take Group B rally cars for example. In the 1980s, Group B cars were introduced to the world rally championships, which saw cars like the Ford RS200 that produced up to 800 horsepower. They were literally F1 cars on the road. Subsequently, the number of deaths during these championship events increased dramatically and these included both drivers and spectators. This continued the following years and not long after, these cars were banned and new rules had to be introduced. However spectacular these cars might have been or how much entertainment they might have brought to viewers worldwide, society just cannot accept the consequences.
A society goes through different generations and eras. Every community goes through changes and as time passes, the peoples' views, needs, wants and behaviour change as well. In some societies they may change faster than the rest, but in others, they may not change at all. An innovation may fail because it is simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. It may be not wanted by people now but might have succeeded with the next generation of people. On 28 March 1819, The Kölonische Zeitung (Köln, Germany), listed a number of objections against the introduction of street lighting. For example, ``morality deteriorates through street lighting. Artificial lighting drives out fear of the dark, which keeps the weak from sinning
''. Despite being a somewhat radical example, such views would be highly contended in the present day!
Trends in society also play a role in a technology failing. Just a few years ago, start up companies were all the rage as .dot coms began sprouting out of nowhere. Following the success of a small number of pioneering internet companies, others believed such a business could be established with little capital, knowledge or experience. Many people tried to enter the industry yet failed to succeed because they merely followed the trend, without vision, forethought or proper business plan.
Thus, it can be seen how social factors play a part in causing a technology to fail. A product may be a total failure in one society, but a huge success in another. It may flop now, but then 10 years later, everyone needs it. Whether or not a product fails or succeeds sometimes cannot be calculated. Society cannot be predicted, just as life is unpredictable.