Dangers of Technology in Brave New World Essay

How does Brave New World show the danger of technology?

I have been asking myself: Technology, what is it? I guess its usually something new, and better than the old idea. Technology started with cars, stoves, TV, radios, etc. Cars takes somebody from one place to another, faster than walking, running, or biking and one could go places without getting tired. Stoves allowed one to conveniently be able to turn on and off heat to a cooking utensil with less clean up. The biggest contributor to making our lives easier would be computers, which has come a long way since its introduction to the world. Also, computers have the ability to be improved more, and more in time. In general, technology started off by comforting our lives. Now, the rapid growth of technology has replaced the need for ones own intellect.

In the novel Brave New World, there is proof that technology (which the government controls) controls humans from the time it is in the test tube. Technology is so good that they can make you highly intelligent or not highly intelligent while you are still an embryo. Mr. Foster says (chapter 1, pg. 11) The lower the caste the shorter the oxygen. This means that one doesnt even have control over your intelligence. You cannot try your best, nor do more work because your intelligence is predetermined. Also, there is no choice as to whether one will allow technology to think for them, since their intelligence is chosen when one is an embryo. Technology is also evident in sleep teaching. While one is sleeping, a recording is played over and over again. By the time one wakes up, it has been memorized without knowing it. This type of technology allows one to be conditioned without knowing it. There is no opinion of right and wrong, instead, one learns what one is taught. Thus, technology overcomes the ability of one to think. Last, soma proves that one has no control over their mind. Lenina says (Chapter 4, pg. 54) A gramme is better than a dam! When one is feeling sad, they have been conditioned (through sleep teaching) to take soma. Thus, one doesnt have the control to be sad because of soma. Once again, technology has overpowered the use of ones mind.

In my opinion, each of the characters in Brave New World lacks an important human characteristic, individuality. I feel individuality is one of the most important things that defines us as humans, we were each created differently, and, like a snow flake, no two people are alike. In the future, due to the advent of genetic engineering, up to 17 thousand babies can be made from a single fertilized egg. Each person has their identity programmed in the "decanting room." Each life has a predestined path that has been determined for them, robot slaves working for society.

Technology has come a long way, and contributed a lot to the comfort of ones life. However, it comforted society so much that society started to depend on it too much. By depending on it too much, society allowed technology to replace the use of ones mind. Children, who were conditioned to use technology, grew up. These children, who are adults now, dont know how to function without technology since it supersedes their ability to think. Huxley's predictions are coming true, and if we refuse to change, it will only be a matter of time before our world reaches the "Brave New World," the final destination of our path of self-destruction from which there is no turning back. Huxley was truly a prophet, and like all great prophets he carried a specific message that we must adhere to: as humans, we must learn to use technology responsibly.