Technology In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

Undoubtedly, the use of technology has been at an all time high during this time period. It has become quite common for people to carry around multiple devices on a daily basis. Surely, there are many different opinions on the usage of technology. Some people think that the constant use of technology is for the better, while others are convinced that technology impacts us in a more negative way. Many authors of science fiction books attempt to predict the future and share their opinions on the world in ways that make readers think. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury writes about a futuristic universe in which books are banned by the government. Unfortunately for the people in this dystopia, the government is against the idea of any knowledge.

Ray Bradbury uses this storyline to warn us that if we do not tone down our use of technology, the world will become an unaware place.

Fahrenheit 451 shows the reader the negative impact technology can have in multiple instances throughout the novel. The protagonist Montag and his wife Mildred always had a loving relationship, until televisions the size of walls came along. He asks "wasn't there a wall between him and Mildred, when you come down to it? Literally not just one wall, but, so far, three!" (Bradbury 41). Montag feels like he doesn't know who the women he fell in love with is anymore, and the two couldn't even remember where the first met for a large portion of the story. Sadly, Mildred refers to the television as her 'family' rather than her husband, Montag. Instead of taking advantage of the brain and learning, the government forces citizens to participate in mindless activities during the little time they are not in the parlor watching television. Clearly, the

Technology has become a bigger part of our world than ever imagined. In a recent study, the average American has around 10 electronic devices. Nicholas Carr states "if you're constantly distracted, constantly interrupted and you don't attend to information closely, you never consolidate that information in your long-term memory and you never create the wealth of internal connections." A 2011 report showed that around 35% of the entire world population is now online. According to Dr. Gary Small, "the average young person spends up to 11.5 hours each day with technology. That may have a negative effect on important mental skills involving face-to-face communication" (Wilson). Certainly, the most popular form of technology today is the mobile phone. In a world of 7 billion people, around 6 billion carry mobile phones on a daily basis. Sadly, it has become quite common for people to be more comfortable with a smartphone than another person. A group of researchers at Kent State University recently proved that heavy phone users tended to have a higher level of anxiety and dissatisfaction with their lives than other students (Wortham). Martin Lindstrom decided gather some data of his own in California. In an attempt to learn more about technology, he exposed 16 college students to the ringing noise of a smartphones. After completing the survey, he found "the subjects'