“Compelling, thought-provoking, and beautifully written, this book is essential reading for anyone—regardless of their disciplinary background—who is interested in the relationship between technology and harm.” — Anita Lavonia, University of Bologna

“This is a timely and incisive analysis of technology and social harm. The book emphasizes the mutual embedding of technology and society, eschewing reductionist determinism and proposing an innovative, pluralistic analytical framework that examines the diverse processes through which technological harms emerge. For policymakers, researchers, practitioners, technology designers, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders with an interest in the intersection of technology and harm, this volume offers a unique resource, delivering a thorough, lucid, and well‑researched exploration.” — Pamela Ugwuodike, University of Southampton

“Brilliant—a framework of great significance. Wood rejects both technological determinism (which attributes social change solely to technology) and social determinism (which ignores technology’s role), instead advancing a nuanced framework for understanding the technology‑harm relationship. His framework enables a comprehensive analysis of how technology shapes human perception and behavior, exacerbates systemic inequalities, and generates harm at both micro and macro levels. The next challenge we face is to put this theory into practice—not only by rethinking relational dynamics but also by innovating methodologically.” — Victoria Knight, De Montfort University

“Insightful, rigorously structured, and comprehensively argued. Wood provides a masterful analysis of the intricate connections between technology and harm, offering a fresh perspective on a relationship that permeates every facet of human civilization. It is a topic that resonates deeply with each of us.” — Marile Kauffmann, University of Oslo

With scholarly rigor, this book delves into the cascading consequences of our interdependent relationship with technology. From “doomscrolling,” which corrodes the mind, to post‑phenomenology, Wood traces the links between technology and harm, powerfully demonstrating how technology can inflict social damage. Wood argues that technology is neither neutral nor inherently harmful; rather, adopting a relational lens, he reveals how it gives rise to harm within specific interactions and contexts. Notably, the book does not dwell on dystopian scenarios; on the contrary, it acknowledges technology’s positive contributions and its capacity to mitigate harm and benefit humanity. — Caroline Mackay, University of Sydney

This book is part of the “Research on Social Harm” series (12 volumes in total).
★ When technological “progress” harbors hidden social harms, and the “pursuit” of beauty devolves into self‑destruction… this series employs a transdisciplinary lens to decode the concealed costs beneath contemporary society’s breakneck development. Taking “social harm” as its prism, it pierces the “narratives of progress” surrounding high‑tech innovation, the beauty industry, career advancement, and adolescent growth, illuminating the pain and alienation experienced by individuals within the myth of progress.
★ Series Editors: Christina Pantazis (University of Bristol, UK) and Simon Pemberton (University of Birmingham, UK).
★ “This series addresses what matters most. Our value system has become imbalanced. We incarcerate people—most of them the poorest—often for minor offenses, such as being unable to repay debts, while frequently celebrating those who commit grave wrongs as wealth creators. Now is precisely the time to focus on who suffers the most, how they suffer, and why.” — Danny Dorling, a renowned British social geographer and Professor at the University of Oxford, whose research spans population, housing, health, education, poverty, inequality, and other social‑geographic issues.
★ “Social harm” is an emerging field of study that has enriched contemporary social and political debates. This compelling lecture series advances a holistic approach, seeking to understand the mechanisms through which harm arises in modern society. With sharply defined themes, a transdisciplinary orientation, and comparative and international perspectives, the series aims to map the distribution of harm while integrating cutting‑edge theory and empirical research.

The series currently comprises 12 volumes: “The Colonial and Patriarchal Dimensions of Harm Between the State and the Corporation,” “Dying under Power: Invisibility and Social Harm,” “Crime, Harm, and the State,” “Social Harm and Neoliberalism,” “ How Technologies Harm,” “The Harms of Beauty,” “Border Harms and Everyday Violence,” “Youth Violence: A Perspective from Social Harm,” “Harms at Work,” “Labor Exploitation and Workplace Harm,” “A Harmful Society,” and “Environmental Harm.”

Technology can cause harm in various ways, but can we say that technology itself is inherently harmful?
This book offers a new perspective on understanding technology. Technology is not inherently harmful, yet it embodies values and dispositions that may give rise to adverse outcomes. Drawing on insights from postphenomenology, realist social theory, and the philosophy of action, the book develops a framework for examining the relationship between technology and harm—the notion of “harm relations,” which arise from the consequences technology produces. It is intended for anyone who is committed to designing, regulating, researching, or using technology with human well-being as a priority.

Mark A. Wood
Mark A. Wood is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Deakin University. His research focuses primarily on the field of digital criminology, examining issues such as informal justice, crime watching, public criminology, cybercrime, and anti-surveillance on social media.
His other works include “The Antisociality of Social Media: Crime Watching in the Internet Age” (2017, Palgrave Macmillan) and “Crime in the Media” (2022, Routledge).

Introduction

Part One: Understanding Harm
1. What is Social Harm?
2. The Nature of Harm

Part Two: Understanding Technology
3. Tools, Extensions, and Affordances
4. Technology as Practice and Action
5. Postphenomenology and Technological Mediation

Part Three: A Framework for the Relationship Between Technology and Harm
6. Overview of the Framework
7. Design Patterns
8. Translation, Infusion, and Zemisis
9. Doing Evil with Objects
10. Harms Beyond Intended Use
11. Higher-Order Relations of Harm

Conclusion: Untying the Entangled Chains