Succumbing To Technology

Technology plays a vital role in the lives of most people in the world. Every year technology is advancing and making the populace more dependent

upon its ability to amuse us. In Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman, he examines this danger. Postman tells of what the future world might be by comparing Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. He believes our world is becoming more like Huxley's than Orwell's. While his argument is proving to be true, he still does not have all of his facts correct.

In Nineteen Eighty-Four the people of Oceania live under the control of a Totalitarian government. Their lives are ruled by "The Party" and the idea that "Big Brother is Watching" them. This statement is to be taken literally. The people are closely monitored by members of The Party, thought-readers, telescreens and hidden microphones. These telescreens and microphones are placed all across the city. In doing this, the party is able to monitor its members all the time. Many members live in the awareness that every move they make and word they speak could be watched. This is why Winston takes extra precautions not to be caught in sight of a telescreen as he rebels by writing in a diary and later during his affair with Julia.

The government in Nineteen Eighty-Four benefited greatly from their use of advanced technology, not unlike the current government of the United States. While the American Government does not go so drastic as to place cameras in every home in America that is not to say that other things do not take its place. With the passing of The Patriot Act in 2001 the government is able to monitor the moves of its citizens much closer.

The act was passed in hopes to avoid the tragic events of September 11, 2001 from repeating. The Patriot Act allows the government to intercept e-mails, voice mails, tap into telephone calls and any other form of communication. By this, the government is able to identify "supposed terrorists" and learn their plans before acted upon and thus saving thousands from devastation.

While this act seems idealistic in saving lives and capturing terrorists, the results are not always so great. Many reports tell of innocent people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. One report tells a horrific extremity. An innocent man was overtaken in an airport for seemingly suspicious behavior observed via a security camera. After interrogations, slight torture and several months of being detained, he was found to be completely innocent and released with only an apology. While such stories may be sparse, the fact that they occur is enough to make anyone take a double glance at the act passed for our safety.

A movie released in 2002 demonstrates what further use of such an act may cause. The Minority Report directed by Stephen Spielberg is a movie dealing with the idea of capturing criminals before they commit the crime they are accused of. This is accomplished by the use of three psychics. These psychics are connected to a main computer that is triggered when they have a premonition of a crime and allows what they see to be displayed to the agents who monitor it. This system is completely flawless and could save countless lives from being murdered. When the tables are turned however, and the main character of the story is accused of a crime that he has yet to commit he makes a run for it, trying to prove his innocence and the flaws in the seemingly perfect system.

The Patriot Act, like the three psychics in the movie, uses various forms of technology to root out the criminals or terrorists before they commit their crime; thus preventing the death of innocent victims. The use of technology to accomplish this, while wonderful, still poses one problem: freedom. The United States was built upon the idea of "freedom for one and for all." By passing such laws as The Patriot Act that right to our freedom is taken from us and changed into something the founders of this country fought hard against: oppression and tyranny. While Postman could not foresee the use of such an act, this still disproves his theory that Huxley's world is more likely to come true than Orwell's. This is not to say, however, that he was completely wrong.

Besides freedom, the founders of our country fought hard for happiness. It's something that is sought after daily by everyone. With the growth in technology many find the task of creating happiness simpler than they did previously. Many find it easy to make themselves happy through turning on a TV, playing video games or taking a drive in a car. Huxley tells of a civilization that's completely based on being happy Ð'- through whatever means necessary.

Every citizen of his new world has a certain amount of "soma" allotted to them everyday. Soma is a pill taken when one begins to feel depressed, wishes to forget, or whenever they feel they need an extra dosage of happiness. The people have been trained since youth to know when to take these pills. They have grown to be so dependent upon it; a dependency attained through the usage of technology/science.

Besides finding peace through a pill, the people are able to maintain happiness because of their relations. From a young age people are told that having sexual relationships with others is expected. Science and technology have advanced far enough that there is no worry of diseases one might contract through sexual activity. Such is evident by the freeness of their sexuality and numberless partners. In fact, it's expected to switch partners every night. It's very uncommon and unlikely for people to stay together in a serious relationship. This also comes from there being no marriage or anything to further a relationship, such as children.

All of the children in this new world come from a factory. Technology has become so advanced that ovaries are removed from women and babies are created through stages in a factory. Thus children have no parents, siblings, or any close relations with people. In fact, to call someone a mother is of the deepest insult.

Children are kept together and conditioned through different means of technology. One of the main procedures used is hypnoaedic conditioning. While sleeping, the children listen to a recording telling them what they like, don't like and how they should act. After so long these recordings are embedded into the children's heads and they can't help but think the things that they have been told. For example, when Bernard questioned the idea of happiness and being free, Lenina automatically replied with what she had been conditioned to since her youth; "Everybody's happy nowadays"(Postman 91). This procedure has been so effective that people