Ray Bradbury tells a society that the human do not criticize in
their life and they do not think about social life and they live depend on the
technology in his book Fahrenheit 451.The author wrote this book as dystopian
novel fifty years ago, but there are all degeneration because of technology in
the current society which the author saw fifty years ago. The developing
technology and the visual media can be discussed in terms of the impacts on the
individuals, society, family, book, and children-parents relations.
Considering the impact of the developing technology on the
individuals, it speeds up the life. The people are not aware of those around
them in the fast life and they lose their senses. Clarisse says:
I sometimes think drivers do not know what grass is, or flowers,
because they never see them slowly. If you showed a driver a green blur, Oh
yes! He’d say, that’s grass! A pink blur? That’s a rose-garden! White blurs are
houses. Brown blurs are cows. My uncle drove slowly on a highway once. He drove
forty miles an hour and they jailed him for two days. Isn’t that funny, and
sad, too? (Bradbury 16)
People have a rush
constantly in the fast life, and always busy; they no time to stop, think,
talk, listen and ask questions. As usual they live like a programmed robot
which is without feelings and emotions. Though people share the same house and
bed, they are cold and strangers to each other. In the rush life people do not
care another, and they live an egocentric life, which is not important all
people, only is important themselves. As Paul point out, “... recent family
changes appear to be signaling a likely trend toward more individualism” (Glick
128).
Considering the visual media in terms of the effects of the
relationship individuals and the society, especially the television causes to
be lonely individuals and they create a virtual world. Mildred says, “That’s my
family” (Bradbury 65) and Beatty says to Mildred, “Shut the “relatives” up”
(Bradbury 70). The people who depend on the technology want to more. Mildred
says, “It’ll be even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall
installed” (Bradbury 30). The television does not allow people to communicate
with each other. People spent watching to the contest, entertainment and sport
programs on the television in their time and they have little time to share
something with each other. People live in the world that is offered to them. The
people accept everything that is told them by the state and they live without
judging and criticizing.
On the other hand, the television affects the family negatively to
individuals of family, they overrate the television more from each other. For
instance, when Montag is ill, he says to turn off the television to his wife, and
she says, “I’ll turn it down” (Bradbury 65). But she does not turn off the
television because there is his favourite programme. The partners do not speak
each other in everyday life and do not listen. For instance, while they are
watching television, do not allow talking with somebody. As Vincent point out,
“… the more we watch, the less we talk; the less we talk, the more we need to
watch” (Rue 74). There is no time to devote to each other or even they do not
listen themselves.
Another effect of visual media has lost the book's importance. People
used to spend their time to read a book, now spend their time to watch the
television, and a book for them, just a waste of time. Beatty says, “Even
though our rule-book claims it was founded earlier. The fact is we didn’t get
along well until photography came into its own. Then – motion pictures in the
early twentieth century. Radio. Television. Things began to have mass”
(Bradbury 71). Nowadays, books draw attention how is the design and visuals but
rather with the contents. Beatty says, “More cartoons in books. More pictures.
The mind drinks less and less. Impatience” (Bradbury 75).
Finally, the visual media effects on the children-parents relations.
They see the television as a salvation from children, when they have a work and
are distressed, generally they open a TV programme that is not important
contents for their children. At that time, important thing for them, the
children does not disturb themselves. Mrs. Bowles says in the book, “I plunk
the children in school nine days out of ten. I put up with them when they come
home three days a month; it’s not bad at all. You heave them into the “parlour”
and turn the switch. It’s like washing clothes; stuff laundry in and slam the
lid” (Bradbury 125). For children is very important to spent time with family,
and make variety activities, and talk about daily life but the families cannot
find time to do that. Sandra and John say, “Family time was important to both
achievement and behavior” (Hofferth & Sandberg 306).
The developing technology and visual media affect negatively to the
individuals and society. As a result, changes the role of the individuals in
the society and social life, weakens family-children relationship and, the
child grows that took specimens of the television instead of the family.
Individuals cannot find the time to devote each other or anyone else in the
rush life and they do not criticize, think, imagine almost they live without
feelings like a robot.
Works Cited
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. London: Harper Collins
Publishers, 2008
Glick, Paul C. “The Family Life Cycle and Social Change”. Family
Relations 4.2(1989): 123-129
Vincent, Rue M. “Television and the Family: The Question of
Control”. The Family Coordinator. 1.1(1974): 73-81
Hofferth, Sandra L. and John F. Sandberg. “How the American children spent
their time”. Journal of Marriage and Family. 5.2(2001): 295-308
