Technology as Magic : The Triumph of the Irrational

Stivers argues that our expectations of technology in society have led to the generation of a multitude of imitation technologies that function as magical practices once did. This is particularly true in the fields of psychology, management and the mass media, where their paramount purpose is human adjustment and control. Advertising and television, in particular, symbolically connect consumer goods and services to desired outcomes - the utopian goals of success, happiness and health.