Technology and society are inextricably linked in the same system of networked interconnected components. These networks often include not only visible elements like hardware, software, and infrastructure, but also invisible factors like impacts on society, culture, and human rights. A Socio-Technical System (STS) refers to this integrated approach, considering both the technical and social dimensions.
Take Alexa, for example. On the surface, it’s a simple smart speaker, but it represents a complex global infrastructure of technology, labor, and logistics. Alexa’s impact extends beyond its function, influencing human behavior, like how we shop or interact with brands, while also affecting the labor conditions of workers at Amazon and its supply chain.
A key component of Alexa’s functionality relies on microchips made by companies like NVIDIA. These chips require materials such as cobalt, which is often mined under exploitative conditions in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo. End users of Alexa may never consider how their device is part of this system of injustice.
Socio-Technical Systems highlight the need for designers to consider both technical functionality and the broader environmental and social consequences.
Reference Sources:
“Fairness and Abstraction in Sociotechnical Systems” by Selbst et al. (2019)