3. Technological Determinism

McLuhan (1962) suggests technological determinism describes how “media technology shapes how we as individuals in a society think, feel, act, and how our society operates as we move from one technological age to another”. The first installment of the Angry Birds game was released on iOS devices in 2009 on the app market. At the time, and still with relevance now, the mobile gaming industry was relatively new and in sync with the modern technological advancements of society. Globalisation, in this case, is a leading factor which determined the success for Rovio - this is when contemporary societies become interconnected through technological means. The societal cultures we see today revolve around the Internet and social media, therefore it is likely that the media content audiences engage with online with impact the views they have on society, as they have access to a global pool of shared ideals. When it comes to gaming cultures, the global availability of Angry Birds as a gaming app may have different impacts internationally. In some, it may be used as a political voice, the pigs being the government control stealing from the poor, who are personified as the birds. In other countries the game may simply used for entertainment purposes, to engage audiences into addictive routines in order to generate abnormal profits for Rovio. Perhaps in the future, the increase in virtual reality may influence the way in which audiences transport themselves into complex fictional worlds, which may have a deep impact on the way audiences see society depending on the games they play. Angry Birds may also be bought into these worlds and provide escapism for children or addictive entertainment for adults.