Fahrenheit 451 Technology

Technological advances in Fahrenheit 451 and in modern daily life affect communication skills. In the novel, technology has replaced their books, their imagination, and even their face-to-face conversations. It has taken away people’s thirst for knowledge and impacted the way individuals think. People have become comfortable with “the dependence of technology, the 24/7 availability of the Internet, and our constant use of devices makes us all behave as if we had ADHD” (Rosen). It has changed one’s behavior and has been adversely affected communication skills. The characters in Fahrenheit 451 are living in a community that “uses technology to control what they think and feel by controlling what they see and hear” (“Fahrenheit”). Technology

In the story, the parlor walls and the seashell radios are examples of technology used by Mildred Montag. The parlor walls are a way of communication for Mildred, so much so that they are considered part of her “family” (Bradbury 46). Mildred has become enamored with the parlor walls and communicates with them more than she does with her husband, Guy Montag. The walls have damaged her communication skills and have trained her brain to think that it is the right way to communicate. The walls make Mildred happy, but it is because she is brainwashed by not having to think on her own. The walls promote mindlessness and create an environment of loneliness because she just sits alone with the walls all day. Another source of technology is the small seashell radios that Mildred puts in her ears to sleep with every night. In order for her to sleep, she relies on the little earphones that are constantly playing music, news, or radio talk. After ten years of using the seashell radios, she has become an “expert at lip reading” (Bradbury 16). Just like the constant entertainment that the walls have given Mildred during the day, the seashell radios have given her the comfort, helping her to fall asleep at night. Technology takes over Mildred’s imagination and shuts down her brain, which allows her to avoid all conflicts. Mildred’s mind is not ever at rest because of the

It is important to not let it overwhelm people like it has done in the novel, Fahrenheit 451. Technology should not replace the ability to think, but rather be used as a tool to enrich people’s lives, providing opportunities to learn and communicate quickly. It should not replace real face-to-face interactions or reading books. People should set boundaries with their use of technology and be mindful of the control it can have over themselves. Breaks from technology allows individuals to explore and expand their minds. A life with a balance of both technology and real life interactions will lead to a purposeful life with endless