Application of Dynamic Modeling to the Social Consequences of Telecommunications

The application of systems dynamic modeling techniques to the problem of analyzing the effects of telecommunication developments on society is discussed. Initial attempts to develop a social interaction model with the telecommunication system have produced four possible social reactions to growth of the system. These four reactions can be summarized as invasion of privacy, information pressures, social dependence, and social tension. Although the model is presently very simple and does not contain many interconnections between these four variables, it is providing useful insight into the interactions between telecommunication systems growth and social response. The causal diagrams are presented with the computer model in its present state of development. Several computer runs are shown indicating some counter-intuitive results from the basic model, and an explanation of these results is presented.