Fahrenheit 451 Abuse Of Technology

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“Technology can be a useful servant but a dangerous master”(Lange). New and advanced technology is seen as beneficial for society but how come the dangers are never talked about? Relatively helpful technology, such as cars, phones, and even AI are all capable of harming individuals. Steven Pinkers “Mind over Mass Media” talks about how technology can be a useful tool for society however, it can also become distracting and addictive. In Ray Bradbury's “Fahrenheit 451”, abuse of technology by Mildred shows how constant use of technology becomes addicting and is capable of harming individuals. This problem spans back twenty years, starting from the creation of the world wide web, and is a result of unrestricted access to technology. Even though …show more content…

In Fahrenheit 451, Mildred is addicted to her parlor walls, screens that replace walls in her home, This addiction has made her delusion to the point where she thinks of the people on the screens as her family and that they are interacting with her as much as she's interacting with them. When talking about the people in the screens she states; “My ‘family’ is people. They tell me things; I laugh, they laugh”(Bradbury 69). Bradbury reveals how technology disconnects people from reality. He uses Mildred's delusion that the people on the parlor walls are her family and actual people to show how she isn't really in touch with reality. Her encasement in technology has altered her brain and caused her to see things differently. Mildred's delusion and disconnect from reality show how technology can become dangerous, especially to someone's mental health. Pinker also agrees with the idea that technology can be addictive. When talking about the drawbacks of technology he states “ Yes, the constant arrival of information packets can be distracting or addictive”(Pinker 2). Pinker says that technology is a constant flow of information that can become very distracting or addictive. This highlights that while technology can be useful, with its ability to provide information, however, it does have consequences. Pinker's agreement with the idea that technology is addictive shows how he also believes that technology can be