The cycles of fearsome media

Does technofear come in cycles?  Tech Liberation Front explores this idea.

First, an emphasis on fears as active things, movements which want to change behavior:

an effort to control the particular content or technology in question is what really defines a true “panic.” 

Second, an interesting thought about sequences:

New techno-panics simply crowd-out old techno-panics

Following up on that, "it seems like these cycles are now accelerating somewhat.  They peak and fizzle out faster, that is."  If so, "this could mean we experience more “mini-panics” and fewer of those sweeping “the-world-is-going-to-hell” type panics."

I like the way this connects political action to media panic.  Perhaps exhaustion of the former leads to a recharge for the latter?

(thanks to Jesse Walker)