Our Society's Love for Technology

      Both the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, and the poem, “Your New Child,” by Austin M., portray the idea that humans are more connected to technology than they are to one another. The novel is set in a world where people spend more time with technology then each other. Likewise, the poem is about a man who pays more attention to his phone then his own son. Many would agree, spending too much time using technology takes you away from building strong relationships with the people surrounding you. The fact that technology consumes our attention, distracts us from the world around us and makes us addicted, brings forth the idea that technology is making individuals detached from society. Most people spend multiple hours a day using technology instead of spending time with other people. In his poem, Austin M. writes, “Giving more attention, to the new son, by his side,” after declaring that his father treats his phone better than him. In other words, Austin is stating that his father gives more attention to his phone than Austin. This is important as it confirms the idea that people are often more engrossed with technology than other humans and therefore, are isolated from each other. In addition to consuming our attention, technology distracts us from the real world. In the novel, Mrs. Bowles remarks, “You heave them into the parlor and turn the switch,” while explaining how to handle children. Basically, Mrs. Bowles is implying that if you put a child in front of a television and turn it on, the child will be captivated. This is significant as it proves that technology can easily distract people and keep them from interacting with other humans. Furthermore, many people become addicted to technology. Some individuals believe they need technology to survive. In the novel, Guy Montag states, “Every night the waves came in and bore her off on their great tides of sound, floating her, wide-eyed, toward morning,” while discussing his wife’s sleeping habits. Guy is insisting that there is not a single night where his wife does not have her ear buds in her ears, helping her fall asleep. This is relevant as it shows how people can become addicted to technology and isolate themselves from others. In brief, technology is making us isolated from society by consuming our attention, distracting us from our surroundings and turning us into addicts. Although it might be tough, we should lessen our use of technology in order to preserve our relationships with other human beings.

Poem - allpoetry.com