Were Bradbury’s predictions from sixty years ago ironically similar to our current society just by chance? Or was he right in predicting our future? Perhaps in another sixty years we will be calling Bradbury’s book science instead of science fiction!
Although Bradbury’s technology is more advanced than ours, we too are becoming a world consumed by technology advancements. Our society is similarly addicted to television and not as many people are choosing to read for leisure anymore, especially when the TV is readily accessible and seamlessly addicting. Furthermore, novels and plays are being made into motion pictures left and right, so what’s the use of reading the book if you can just see it in theaters? However, unlike Bradbury’s society we have not yet band books and do not have our fireman burn them.
Currently many of our kids are learning through technology instead of reading books. They may play video or computer games that teach them how to say the alphabet or watch a TV show that teaches them Spanish. By not reading, kid’s imaginations are being taken away, much like Bradbury’s characters. As a society we are moving away from the arts and being drawn toward the technology and the internet world.
Another key similarity is the fast pace of society. Bradbury’s characters not only drive fast but they want everything in their lives easy and readily accessible. Even though we have speed limits, not many people follow them as they increase their speeds at a dangerous rate, simply to get to places faster. We also want everything to work faster; faster computers, faster software and faster meals.
There are however still a few difference between the book and our current reality. First of all, our firemen still have the responsibility to put out fires and not start them, they have the responsibility to save likes and not take people to jail. Second, we may rely on technology for many things but we have not yet started to rely on robots in daily life. Third, people are also still writing stories and using their imagination to write new literature. Lastly, people are still reading book, books our not band, books are not being burned, and our schools are still encouraging us to read.
However, our society will continue to rapidly change due to technological advancements. Perhaps books will no longer be printed and only read electronically, like the kindle. Some may argue this is economically friendly but some may miss the feel and smell of holding the book and turning the pages. As important as books are to our society, where will they be in sixty years? Will there still be libraries full of them or just rooms full of computers with electronic sources?
yeah concerning your second to last paragraph there were no robots in the (except the dog thing), there are actual banned books, and finally certain churches burn books.
ReplyDeleteThere was a toast robot.
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