Noah Hilton Ms. Schultz English 9B 16 March 2023 Is Modern America Like Fahrenheit 451 The novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, was published shortly after the end of World War II. The novel is written as science fiction and criticizes society back in 1951, it also provides warnings of possible dangers for the future. Throughout history we have seen wars with radical leaders trying to oppress their people into thinking a certain way, ‘brain-washing’ their people with censorship to become mindless government servants. An example of this controlled censorship was with Adolf Hilter and his Nazi regime. This censorship has increased over many platforms of media and technology, allowing humans to think less for themselves. Along, …show more content…
In our novel, the government kept civilians preoccupied by using technology, the media and social media to provie entertainment. It keeps us preoccupied, the especially women. Television screens were spread over walls, while small radios broadcasted everything to the public. This presented an easy access for entertainment programing and a way to keep civilians busy and their minds preoccupied creating an addiction to technology and different forms of media. An example of this is, “A patient arrived late, tossed his cell phone on the sofa, and pleaded: “Can you help me control my phone? It’s ruining my life. ” What is supposed to help us, is hurting us. What is supposed to free us, ends up enslaving us. That’s the paradox of addiction. Whatever the lure, it seems so good, so positive, so helpful and so harmless. And then we’re hooked.” (Dr. Stephanie Brown). Modern America is becoming more like Fahrenheit 451 due to its obsession with technology, smart phones, smart watches, social media…Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have been accused of suppressing conservative voices and opinions. This censorship of information is like the burning of books in Fahrenheit 451 because it seeks to limit people's access to information and ideas. According to a report by the Knight Foundation, 86% of college students believe that social media companies censor political views that they disagree with (Grimmer & Tucker, 2020). This is a concerning trend because it is leading to a lack of diversity of thought and ideas, which is essential for a healthy democracy. This technology addiction distracts people from reality and limits our ability to think. This excessive use of technology is a cause for concern because it is leading to a lack of meaningful human interaction and critical thinking. If America continues down this path, it may end up like the society depicted in Fahrenheit 451, where people are unable to think for