Among the technology commentariat, there is a strain of unthinking acceptance of anything that can be described as “disruption,” which has become a buzzword over the past few years. Never mind that disruption — as its name implies — necessarily means some kind of destruction: of jobs, of business models, of institutions, and even of longstanding ethical and moral guidelines and social mores.
Disruption is inevitable and sometimes necessary. It's been a fact of life since humanity harnessed fire, which might still be the most disruptive event in human history — maybe even more so than Instagram. We should recognize it and we should think about it. Often, we should welcome it. But that doesn't mean it always deserves indiscriminate cheers of the kind that come from certain quarters of technology enthusiast community.
