Technology Today and 1984

Gazing around at the play this weekend and observing people in school, in traffic, at work, it's hard not to notice how many people are staring into some kind of device: an ipod, a cell phone, a Blueberry, a laptop. Has technology liberated or captured us?

Technology is usually percieved as letting us achieve and push new limits in the world. That is really cool, unless we alow ourselves to become so dependent on it that we forget how to get by in the natural world.

In a way technology has captured us because now it seems hard to live without it, and we are very attach to it too, we used cellphones, to talk with someone, when that other person is at the end of the hall, we use email, when we can talk to someone personaly.

Technology is so commonly used now-a-days that if we took it away, many of us wouldnt know what to do with ourselves, almost hard to live without. but back earlier in history, technology was so inaccessable that not that many people were not able to use the technology like we are able to today. i think that as the youth of the nation we are already ahead of many older people just because of the fact that we were brought up knowing and using all of the technology that many people were not able to use as a child.

Technologies have completely taken over. Thinking about it, I've never gone a day where I wasn't on a computer or listening to an ipod, having a cell phone or even watching t.v. It has captured us because wehave so many technologies now that it becomes a necessity to our daily lives and it's getting to the point where we need these technologies in our schools and are using them as learning sources. Children as young as 2 are getting cell phones and learning how to read on computers. A recent example is this english class. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but technology definetely rules our lives.

I dont think that Technologies have captured us because we chose to use it, it is not as thought it is our enemy. We have complete control over how we use it, and when we use it, it is not controling us. It is aiding us in controling others. It is not actualy an endity it is somthing we created to aid us. there for it can't "capture" us, as so many of my class mate think because we have the power. Yes we could not live without it but that doesn't mean much. It has become a way of life we can't live without agriculture, but I doubt anyone would say that controles us.

I dont think that Technologies have captured us because we chose to use it, it is not as thought it is our enemy. We have complete control over how we use it, and when we use it, it is not controling us. It is aiding us in controling others. It is not actualy an endity it is somthing we created to aid us. there for it can't "capture" us, as so many of my class mate think because we have the power. Yes we could not live without it but that doesn't mean much. It has become a way of life we can't live without agriculture, but I doubt anyone would say that controles us.

Some technology nowadays relates to that in 1984 and some doesn't. Things like cell phones make people feel like they need to be in constant communication with others. Ipods are used because people cannot stand silence. However, things like blackberrys and cameras are things used by the government. Cameras are often lingering in mysterious places. Once again the fear of "being watched" is instilled into us as humans. Blackberrys, when used to a certain extent make us like robots because we feel we have to do exactly what the device says.

I think it is safe to say that Technology owns us all. I can't think of anyone in our current time that doesn't use some sort of technology on a daily basis. I know that I use my mp3 player, cell phone, computer, xbox, and TV on a daily basis. So I suppose that I am owned by technology in that respect. But on the other hand I am free to stop using those items whenever I want, but I just don't want to stop using them. I am not going to be shot if I don't watch TV for one day, so therefore technology doesn't necessarily own us, it just seems like it does sometimes.

I woudn't say that technology has captured or liberated us. We use it everyday, and if it was taken away, we would be confused but we could still get by, I think. It is very useful and may run our lives is a way, but it has not completely captured or liberated us. If I were to pick one, I would say it has liberated us more than captured us.

Thechnology had both leberated and captured us. We are able to communicate faster and more efficient. But at the same time some people are 'cell phone addicts' and are constantly on the phone talking about nothing. That is a way in which technonogy has captured us.

I think technology has captured us, we all have a computer, TV, ipod, cell phone, ect. Every business relies on a computer or phone, and the internet has information for everyone to retrieve. If we did not have technology our economy would not be what it is today.. so yes we are captured by technology, but it is mostly in a good way.

I think technology has liberated society. People like doctors, scientists, and the police have used technology to better our world. With out things like life support for pacients who can't breath on their own, and television to report important anouncment like amber alerts and storm warnings, we would still be in the dark ages, perhaps relying on magical incantations to cure ourselves.

I think that technology has potential either way. It's simply another tool, and it is really up to us to decide how we use it. However, there are certainly quite a few dangers, and it really is amazing how frightening and detailed Orwell's portrayal of technology in the future is. It is highly possible that technology could end up owning us like that. Right now let's consider as an example the new voting system: you use a touch screen pad and the emphasis is on leaving your "print". I don't mean to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it is conceivable in the future that "anonymous" voting may not be so anonymous anymore, and the government could potentially find out who you're voting for. With legislation like the patriot act, this doesn't seem so far-fetched. While technology is helpful, I think that it has the potential to get out of our control. It shouldn't get ahead of us and we certainly shouldn't rely on it for all things. ALso, it can certainly give some organizations, like the government, too much unlimited power. And as more technology is develops, it is difficult for the laws to keep up, so there are some serious gray areas where our rights could be violated, but not illegally.

luckyyou3 wrote:

This is why it would be very easy to watch us every moment of our lives, if there ever is a time when the government is going to start watching us.

I think that luckyyou brings up a very interesting and scary point that the possiblity of survelliance, while unrealistic right now, is there. My question is could we stop depending on our technology if we knew it was comprimising our freedom and privacy, or would we not afford to lose what years of science has brought us, even if it meant a society not unlike the one of 1984?

I agree with yetti1, that technology has captured us and it is almost unheard of in this country t not have your own computer or ipod, or cellphone. I am not saying that is a bad thing, technology is very useful to us for many reasons which include keeping in touch and all the scientific adavances that have come thanks to this new technology.

I think that technology has done both captured and liberated us, it could go either way. It has liberated us in the sense that we can communicate with people more easily and we can find information (research) by just clicking a few buttons. In the past, people have had to work harder to find what they needed and in the present, we have access to technology that does the work for us. The downside to technology though, is that it has made us into machines. Instead of talking face to face to someone, we text message or e-mail, which is a lot less personal. Instead of going out and hanging out with friends, many of us go straight home to our computers. We have been taught a system where everything is done for you. In this regard, we don't work anymore, we have become lazy, programmed machines.

I think that technology has captured he public but captured us in a good way. We use our technology for everything, from listening to your favorite song to bringing in your assignment for class. If all of our technology suddenly didn't exist I am sure that many peoples grades and work would suffer not to mention the mass hysteria form everyone who was slightly to majority addicted to their technology

It really depends on how you look at it. Yes, many people spend hours and hours online, wasting their time away, they seclude themselves by putting in headphones, and stare at a television screen on a regular basis.
On the other hand, where would we be without technology? We would still be stuck on this planet, wondering if the moon was really made of cheese. People would be dying of illnesses that are easily cured and preventable these days. Many artists such as musicians wouldn't strive if their work wasn't available to the public on the media.
So there are ups and downs to technology. I'd mush rather have it than not.

I think Technology has not taken a complete hold on us yet (but it is close). Tech is basically a necessity of life, its just here to make our lives easier. Even if its hard to do; almost anyone can stop useing tech and not fall over dead. On the other hand tech can also be a curse because it can be used to take away our privacy and harm people physically and emotionally.

it has done both. we have more private lives in our music and cell phones but we can be possibly monitored and it is never known if someone is watching you