Very nice elaboration on what you meant by social technology!
Now that I remember, I think what caused me to make the initial association of that with a cynical "game design" approach to using religions in a utilitarian manner, is the sort of ideas I've seen a few dissident-right (Neoreaction) bloggers post whenever they being up their supposed Christian faith. One author in particular would unironically use the term "social technology" to describe his own "faith," which ofc doesn't sound like a real faith at all, but merely a "toolkit" to be used a means to a (material) end. It should come as no surprise that this blogger is a software engineer by trade.
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Now that I remember, I think what caused me to make the initial association of that with a cynical "game design" approach to using religions in a utilitarian manner, is the sort of ideas I've seen a few dissident-right (Neoreaction) bloggers post whenever they being up their supposed Christian faith. One author in particular would unironically use the term "social technology" to describe his own "faith," which ofc doesn't sound like a real faith at all, but merely a "toolkit" to be used a means to a (material) end. It should come as no surprise that this blogger is a software engineer by trade.