The Role Of Technology In Fahrenheit 451

Daniel J. Boorstin once said “Technology is so much fun, but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge.” Boorstin adverts to the fact that in an era dominated by technology; people have lost the ability to think for themselves and are constantly given trivial information. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, adolescents are taught an amplitude of information, but the material is rather aimless and inane. In the year 2053, time spent watching television and laying bed is thought to be more valuable than time used to think and converse with others. Bradbury prognosticated that society would in turn lose its ability to effectively communicate and would begin occupying its people with nugatory work. In his bestselling novel, Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury warn future generations about the dangers of busy work and lack of communication.

Many modern day school system preoccupy kids with hours of meaningless work, consequently leaving children without the time to reflect on life and to truly comprehend what they have been taught. This also holds true to the novel Fahrenheit 451. Clarisse states that school consists of “an hour of TV class, an hour of basketball or baseball or running, another hour of transcription

history or painting pictures, and more sports.” She then adds “but do you know, we never ask questions, or at least most don’t; they just run the answers at you, bing, bing, bing, and us sitting there for four more hours of film-teacher” (Bradbury 27). Clarisse explains that school consists of long, drawn out classes with teachers feeding kids an abundance of answers. Students have no time to ask questions or to dig deeper into topics, similarly to what modern day students experience. Many schools teach for the primary purpose of scoring well on standardized tests and meeting common core. In order to do so, teachers rush through lessons, giving students no time to form an opinion on the subject at hand or to completely grasp ideas. In this way, Bradbury accurately predicted schools turning to busy work instead of in-depth discussions. Clarisse also states “but I don't think it’s social to get a bunch of people together and not let them talk, do you?” (Bradbury 27). Set during a period where individual thought was discouraged, the unique were seen as challenged, causing Clarisse to be viewed as an anti-social. In truth, Clarisse was the only expressive child, whereas all the other kids were very isolated and simple. Likewise, many kids of our generation alienate themselves and divert to the use of their phones. Children who do not spend their time to their phone are labeled as strange and abnormal. Clarisse also states “they run us so ragged by the end of the day we can’t do anything but go to bed or head for a Fun Park to bully people around, break windowpanes in the Window Smasher place, or wreck cars in the Car wrecker place with the big steal ball” (Bradbury 27). Adolescents are so uninterested in what they “learn” in school that they busy their minds by acting destructive or by falling asleep during class. Bradbury predicted that if schools started to get prosaic, kids would turn to disruptive behavior.
By the year of 2053, society’s communication had diminished greatly. This was because everyone was brainwashed into operating the same way and into not having an opinion, thus taking away the need for communication. The only way people would interact was by watching television together. Mildred puts this on display when she says, “I went to Helen’s last night.” Montag replied, “couldn’t you get the shows in your own parlor?” Mildred answered, “Sure, but it was nice visiting” (Bradbury 47). Mildred believed that she was being social by having someone watch television with her. This holds true to today’s society as many kids hangout but just end up watching television. They do not talk about life, opinions, or other important matters; they will just gaze at a screen. Much of humanity acts similarly to a robot, discussing meaningless topics. Clarisse says, “people don't talk about anything…no, not anything.They name a lot of cars or clothes or swimming pools mostly and say how swell! But they all say the same thing and nobody says anything different from anyone else” (Bradbury 28). The majority of teens these days have no depth to them, conforming to their peers. Being similar is seen as ideal, whereas people who talk about things other than the norm are considered atypical. To demonstrate, the kids who preach tolerance and acceptance do this, because it is what is the trend, not because it is what they believe in. In 2053, people find it bizarre when others discuss controversial ideas. Mildred explains “oh, just my mother and father and uncle sitting around, talking.” Montag then questions “but what do you talk about?” (Bradbury 7). Bradbury presumed that future generations would not have time to sit and talk. This may be true in the way that our society is moving away from real conversation and turing them into online conversations loaded with meaningless slang.
Bradbury was able to anticipate many societal norms present in the future.

He predicted schools would turn to extensive hours of work and would not allow kids the time necessary to form an opinion and to think. They would in turn become the same person with the same priorities. Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 with the goal of cautioning future generations about the risks of losing individuality. He highlighted the problems that can occur if authority figures stuff a child’s brain with irrelevant information. Fortunately, society possesses the ability to change these things if they fix the schooling system and advocate for the lessening of phone usage. When 2053 arrives, will society be like it was in Fahrenheit

451?