Technology And Censorship In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury
“We have too many cell phones. We’ve got too many internets. We have got to get rid of those machines.” Ray Bradbury was a man of science, but also of writing. Which is why it puzzles me that he thinks technology is going to decrease social interaction among humans, I think he was wrong. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, he shows us how technology and censorship can ruin a society. I agree with him to a point, but we also differ in opinions. Although he predicted our future fairly correctly, I think he got this part wrong. With modern day technology we are closer than ever, we are connected 24/7 and can always get in touch. Technology gives us the ability to stay connected at all times, save lives, and educate new generations more completely. From any aspect you can clearly see that social interaction
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has increased since new inventions have become necessities.
Bradbury said that we would become less social, but in reality because of technology we are connected all the time. There are so many modern conveniences in the world today, one of them is being able to reach anyone and any moment of the day. With cell phones, or more commonly “smart phones” we can fit dictionaries, video games, applications, and even social interaction into our pocket. The first “cell phone” was made in 1946 by AT&T, weighed about three pounds, and was only able to make three calls in one city simultaneously. Calls had to be manually set up by an operator and you would usually have to wait about 30 minutes to place a call. Today our pocket sized gadgets connect to cell towers automatically and connect us with people around the world in about 30 seconds. Everywhere you turn you will find cell phones and other social
technologies, thus proving that social interaction has increased, rather than decreased. This may not be the most conventional way of accessing another human being, and while some prefer face to face interaction, others rely on machinery to stay connected with loved ones. This expands almost every inch of the world to be accessible within just seconds. With moderation, technology is one of the most essential requirements in our lives. Proven in many research studies, “First, some relationships that would have been face-to-face will be conducted electronically. Second, the increase in frequency of contact between individuals caused by improvements in telecommunications technology may result in more face-to-face interactions.” (Gaspar, line 5). Technology is a way to share your vision of new innovations with everyone in the world all at once, and thanks to the many creators of our futuristic equipment, we are constantly evolving. Technology increases and improves social interaction globally. Social interaction and communication is key to education. Over the years, it has been proven that our youth is striving further and further towards complete intellectual stimulation. Test scores are rising and a 4.0 is becoming a trend due to our daily exposure to technology. ”Educational technology, especially computers and computer-related peripherals, have grown tremendously and have permeated all areas of our lives” (Valdez, par. 3). With the ability to take classes online, the world spins on our schedule. When I run into a homework problem I can’t solve, I FaceTime someone in the same class for help. FaceTime is an Apple application and allows video and audio messaging in real time to anyone that downloads it. This is especially helpful for visual learners, providing them with examples and demonstrating the problem while in the comfort of your own home perhaps. This reaffirms that “Taking advantage of mathematical and scientific information does not generally require an expert's grasp of those disciplines. But it does require a distinctive approach to analyzing information” (Valdez, par. 2). Technology connects people in a variety of ways, and is the key to furthering education in the world. Many believe in the saying “with age comes wisdom.” That basically means that the older you are, the more experiences you’ve had. Well this isn’t always true for this generation, reading about others mistakes online and watching dramas on televisions teach us valuable life lessons that often go unaddressed. I can’t visit every corner of the world, but I can read about someone else’s trip for hours, and feel like I’m really there. Learning about others’ experiences and steering away from their mistakes is possibly one of the most valuable educational lessons we will ever learn. To me, that is life changing and it is all because of social interaction, because we saw someone else make a mistake, we are 76% less likely to make the same mistake. “’Why it was at - I don’t know’” (Bradbury 43). This was when Montag asked Mildred when they first met and she couldn’t answer because she was basically brainwashed. Although this is the case in the book, it is not real life. Technology opens up the world around you and can improve your relationships with yourself, and other people. Technology has had a profound impact on what it means to be social. It is constantly improving and never ceases to amaze me. One of the most important issues in the world is medical security. When feeling under the weather, the average person will go to the doctor to fix the problem. But what do the doctors do? They operate the machines that save lives, and as complicated as saving a human life is, technology makes it that much easier or even possible. "They had this machine. They had two machines, really. One of them slid down into your stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well looking for all the old water and the old time gathered there" (Bradbury 12). “Surging use of improved medical technology, including new drugs, is driving up life expectancy for Americans and driving down rates of major killers such as heart disease and cancer, a new national health report finds” (Reinberg, par. 1). Machines are especially essential to keep our lives. Life expectancy in the United States was a whopping 43 in the year 1900. “Americans are living longer than ever before -- 77.9 years on average” (Reinberg, par. 4). This is due to technology and human knowledge of how to stop plagues and diseases. That’s pretty impressive for our lifespan to almost double in just over 100 years. This obviously increases interaction because it increases our years to communicate. Some believe that we are too reliant on our everyday conveniences, but I don’t see how that is a factor when we are consistently improving our world via technology. Whether it’s reducing pollution or finding the cure to cancer, the discoveries are sure to be based off of technology. Others think that new technology is invading on religious grounds, but I don’t think God would give us the brainpower to create these machines if he didn’t know it would work out for the best. Another issue is that it is causing a gap between the younger and older generations. I find it to be a way of bonding them together. For example, my grandfather doesn’t know much about fancy remotes or phones that don’t flip, but teaching him how to use those things is a way of relating to him and helping him understand why we are so set in our ways about our views on technology. While all of these arguments are valid, it is overall apparent that technology has had a positive effect on social interaction and many other aspects of life. As you can see, technology impacts everyone’s life in many ways, most of which are positive. It changes the way we think of others and can assist us in getting to know a lot of people at once. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that I’ve probably learned more about myself and others because of the machines a fingertip away, than I could ever learn in the classroom. Traditional methods of life will always be important, but technology in moderation can alter our lives in the best way. Whether you are trying to get in touch with a close friend, trying to grasp a new lesson, or performing medical procedures technology will be assisting you and creating never ending space for social interaction.
has increased since new inventions have become necessities.
Bradbury said that we would become less social, but in reality because of technology we are connected all the time. There are so many modern conveniences in the world today, one of them is being able to reach anyone and any moment of the day. With cell phones, or more commonly “smart phones” we can fit dictionaries, video games, applications, and even social interaction into our pocket. The first “cell phone” was made in 1946 by AT&T, weighed about three pounds, and was only able to make three calls in one city simultaneously. Calls had to be manually set up by an operator and you would usually have to wait about 30 minutes to place a call. Today our pocket sized gadgets connect to cell towers automatically and connect us with people around the world in about 30 seconds. Everywhere you turn you will find cell phones and other social
technologies, thus proving that social interaction has increased, rather than decreased. This may not be the most conventional way of accessing another human being, and while some prefer face to face interaction, others rely on machinery to stay connected with loved ones. This expands almost every inch of the world to be accessible within just seconds. With moderation, technology is one of the most essential requirements in our lives. Proven in many research studies, “First, some relationships that would have been face-to-face will be conducted electronically. Second, the increase in frequency of contact between individuals caused by improvements in telecommunications technology may result in more face-to-face interactions.” (Gaspar, line 5). Technology is a way to share your vision of new innovations with everyone in the world all at once, and thanks to the many creators of our futuristic equipment, we are constantly evolving. Technology increases and improves social interaction globally. Social interaction and communication is key to education. Over the years, it has been proven that our youth is striving further and further towards complete intellectual stimulation. Test scores are rising and a 4.0 is becoming a trend due to our daily exposure to technology. ”Educational technology, especially computers and computer-related peripherals, have grown tremendously and have permeated all areas of our lives” (Valdez, par. 3). With the ability to take classes online, the world spins on our schedule. When I run into a homework problem I can’t solve, I FaceTime someone in the same class for help. FaceTime is an Apple application and allows video and audio messaging in real time to anyone that downloads it. This is especially helpful for visual learners, providing them with examples and demonstrating the problem while in the comfort of your own home perhaps. This reaffirms that “Taking advantage of mathematical and scientific information does not generally require an expert's grasp of those disciplines. But it does require a distinctive approach to analyzing information” (Valdez, par. 2). Technology connects people in a variety of ways, and is the key to furthering education in the world. Many believe in the saying “with age comes wisdom.” That basically means that the older you are, the more experiences you’ve had. Well this isn’t always true for this generation, reading about others mistakes online and watching dramas on televisions teach us valuable life lessons that often go unaddressed. I can’t visit every corner of the world, but I can read about someone else’s trip for hours, and feel like I’m really there. Learning about others’ experiences and steering away from their mistakes is possibly one of the most valuable educational lessons we will ever learn. To me, that is life changing and it is all because of social interaction, because we saw someone else make a mistake, we are 76% less likely to make the same mistake. “’Why it was at - I don’t know’” (Bradbury 43). This was when Montag asked Mildred when they first met and she couldn’t answer because she was basically brainwashed. Although this is the case in the book, it is not real life. Technology opens up the world around you and can improve your relationships with yourself, and other people. Technology has had a profound impact on what it means to be social. It is constantly improving and never ceases to amaze me. One of the most important issues in the world is medical security. When feeling under the weather, the average person will go to the doctor to fix the problem. But what do the doctors do? They operate the machines that save lives, and as complicated as saving a human life is, technology makes it that much easier or even possible. "They had this machine. They had two machines, really. One of them slid down into your stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well looking for all the old water and the old time gathered there" (Bradbury 12). “Surging use of improved medical technology, including new drugs, is driving up life expectancy for Americans and driving down rates of major killers such as heart disease and cancer, a new national health report finds” (Reinberg, par. 1). Machines are especially essential to keep our lives. Life expectancy in the United States was a whopping 43 in the year 1900. “Americans are living longer than ever before -- 77.9 years on average” (Reinberg, par. 4). This is due to technology and human knowledge of how to stop plagues and diseases. That’s pretty impressive for our lifespan to almost double in just over 100 years. This obviously increases interaction because it increases our years to communicate. Some believe that we are too reliant on our everyday conveniences, but I don’t see how that is a factor when we are consistently improving our world via technology. Whether it’s reducing pollution or finding the cure to cancer, the discoveries are sure to be based off of technology. Others think that new technology is invading on religious grounds, but I don’t think God would give us the brainpower to create these machines if he didn’t know it would work out for the best. Another issue is that it is causing a gap between the younger and older generations. I find it to be a way of bonding them together. For example, my grandfather doesn’t know much about fancy remotes or phones that don’t flip, but teaching him how to use those things is a way of relating to him and helping him understand why we are so set in our ways about our views on technology. While all of these arguments are valid, it is overall apparent that technology has had a positive effect on social interaction and many other aspects of life. As you can see, technology impacts everyone’s life in many ways, most of which are positive. It changes the way we think of others and can assist us in getting to know a lot of people at once. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that I’ve probably learned more about myself and others because of the machines a fingertip away, than I could ever learn in the classroom. Traditional methods of life will always be important, but technology in moderation can alter our lives in the best way. Whether you are trying to get in touch with a close friend, trying to grasp a new lesson, or performing medical procedures technology will be assisting you and creating never ending space for social interaction.