Decoding Power and Meaning in the Digital Age

Problem Statement: Power institutions within societies have historically monitored and controlled individuals. After the advent of modernity, these institutions became increasingly invisible. Michel Foucault, in discussing the interdependent relationship between knowledge and power, argues that these two elements reinforce each other. As knowledge advances, power institutions gain the ability to exert control through mechanisms derived from technology. Don Ihde, in explaining the function of technology, suggests that technologies act as mediators of human knowledge. In this study, tools are examined as material entities capable of constructing structures of meaning, hence referred to as "knowledge-creating tools." Ihde also argues that these tools and technologies are not neutral in the process of human knowledge formation. The fundamental questions this study addresses are as follows: To what extent is human understanding of existence influenced by tools and technology? How do digital objects, as material entities capable of creating meaning structures, function within the mechanisms of power? Objective: This paper aims to explore digital objects as knowledge-creating tools and examine how these objects serve pervasive functions within power institutions. Methodology: The research method employed in this study is phenomenological. Phenomenology is the study of lived human experiences. The approach involves examining phenomena and describing them in terms of how they manifest and their effects, without assigning value judgments. Results: The findings indicate that technology and digital objects play a role in knowledge creation, can construct structures of meaning, and continuously position individuals to voluntarily adhere to specific algorithms and rules. By using objects like platforms, smartphones, artificial intelligence, and search engines, individuals live in a network of power mechanisms that both construct knowledge and subject them to surveillance.