2- Society’s Increasing Reliance on Technology.
Technology is growing at an astronomical speed. The more technology available to us, the more it is integrated into our lives. Technology has changed human history forever, especially in the way we live. Technology can easily be found anywhere in a modern society. It is in our homes, in public, and even in our pockets. Many people are dependent on technology, and would not be able to function without it. This begs the questions, are we too reliant on technology? The simple answer is yes. We have an alarming increased reliance on technology as time progresses. Many people would argue that too much technology is harmful for us as a society, and strong points are made about this topic by analyzing two separate stories. These points are that too much technology can harm a family’s relationship, society is using technology for unconventional means, such as solving controversial matters, or controlling a population There is too much technology in our homes. We are too reliant on technology in our homes, that it can distract from family relationships and keep a family at a distance. This idea is shown in the short story The Veldt authored by Ray Bradbury. In this short story, a family lives inside an incredible technologically advanced house that performs every tasks for them ranging from cooking to cleaning; “[T]hat’s why we bought this house, so we wouldn’t have to do anything.”(128). The children have a room that can transform and display anything their imagination thinks of. This room is called the nursery; “[S]tood in the center of the [nursery], the walls began to purr and recede into crystalline distance, it seemed, and presently an African veldt appeared.”(126). Although at first this room might seem like a great idea for children, it is not. The children would much rather play in the nursery than spend time with their family, and would rather the house take care of them instead of their parents. Technology is their new mother and father and this is expressed in the text when their doctor speaks to the parents and says “You’ve let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your children’s affection.”(134). This reliance on technology for the children and their parents is harmful, and with this quote we can see how technology can essentially ruin a family. With our increased reliance on technology it is no surprise that it is used to solve many problems. Many things are automated now, and thanks to technology. Science is a great field that benefits from the development in technology because it helps us expand our knowledge and allows us to explore deeper into science. However, this can be taken too far to the point where technology is not always the answer. In the novel A Clockwork Orange authored by Anthony Burgess, the protagonist goes through a procedure called the Ludovico technique. In short, this technique uses a combination of sedative and videos to cure his criminal behavior. This technique is forced on him and manipulates his thinking against his will. Instead of having a humane approach with an expert trying to help him with his mental health, they rely on technology and science to forcibly alter his mind. The state does not care that this technique is not ethical but they do not care, they say this directly in the novel; “we are not concerned with motive, with the higher ethics. We are concerned only with cutting down crime.”(98). By analyzing this quote we can see that they put out of