Use Of Technology In Fahrenheit 451

Check your screen time. If you’re like the average person, it’s probably more than seven hours. That’s almost ⅓ of the day spent staring at an electronic device. Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, highlights the issue of technology addiction. Bradbury portrays a technologically advanced society in which books are banned, and firemen burn books to encourage excessive technology use. The society is rapidly evolving with no time to slow down. The novel follows the story of Montag, a book-burning fireman, and his wife, Mildred. The novel highlights topics such as an addiction to technology, seen through Mildred’s use of the television, and a lack of intimacy and meaningless human connections, as seen in Montag and Mildred’s marriage.

Technology divides and isolates people, leaving people to spend more time on their phones than with their families. Bradbury alluded to this in Fahrenheit 451 when Montag gets sick, but Mildred is in the parlor watching television. When Montag asks Mildred to turn the television down, Mildred replies, “That’s my family” (52). Mildred values technology over her husband, showing her extreme dependence on the device. Mildred constantly ignores Montag for her “family” in the parlor. This “family” is truly just a television screen. Mildred and Montag lack intimacy, with her television addiction being more important than quality time. Likewise, quality time is becoming less important in today’s society. Parents are becoming distracted and engrossed in their phones while parenting rather than focusing on their children. Social media has become so addictive to the point where parents are using it as an escape from their children. The article “Worried about your kids’ screen time? Check your own first.” illustrates the harmful results of this addiction by expressing, “Not only are we less likely to pay attention to our kids’ physical safety when we’re tapping and scrolling, we can also miss their emotional cues and the kinds of quality interactions especially important for younger kids’ development” (Yabroff). Distracted parenting not only affects the parents but also negatively affects

The reliance on technology has caused many to turn to their phones in search of relationships, yet those also have tolling effects on one’s mental health. Technology cannot replace in-person connections. Bradbury demonstrates this in Fahrenheit 451. Earlier in the novel, Mildred attempts to overdose on sleeping pills. Although technology is not outwardly blamed for this, Montag still explains, "The living room; what a good job of labeling that was there. No matter when he came in, the walls were always talking to Mildred” (48). Mildred spent her days spending time with the television in the living room. She essentially lived there, having no concern about where Montag was. Her extreme reliance on her parlor “family” could’ve been the cause of her tragic overdose. She attempted to connect with technology, yet this connection could not replace any meaningful connections she could’ve created in person. Her addiction to television caused a meaningless connection with Montag, leading to her mental health struggle. Mental health issues as a result of technology are still an issue today. Dating apps are becoming more common, with users spending hours scrolling and swiping on apps in an attempt to find a perfect match. People think the constant use of the apps will lead them to romance, but it only disconnects them from the real world and making