KARINA 360° & A. Cordova : A Predicted Future - Orwell and Bradbury

Books were banned, and privacy invaded. Thoughts were destroyed and brains manipulated.

These were the visions in the 1950s by Ray Bradbury and George Orwell. Throughout the duration from the time those books were published – till now - we can see examples of this occurring in our everyday lives.

A few weeks ago a good Samaritan died on the streets of Queens after saving a women from being assaulted. He himself was stabbed and fell to the floor helpless. During a duration of about 2 hours, 25 people had passed by him not responding to the situation. Of those 25 people, some took pictures of him with their camera phone. Some stood and stared and did nothing.

He later died.

This scenario is mirrored 50 years ago by Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451

Today, as a whole, people are distracted and are less alert to their surroundings. “Denham’s Dentifrice” is an example of an advertisement that was used in Bradbury’s novel to brainwash and to distract civilians in a subway.

On a walk everywhere and anywhere, ads bombard us. Bradbury describes in his mind 200 foot long billboard ads, it seen as though as a form of brainwashing. Today it is the same idea.

“Buy this and buy that! This will make you skinny! Your skin will glow!”

More than ever, sleeping pills have exploded and are a necessity for many Americans. In 2005, 42 million sleeping pills were prescribed.

Why is it that so many people have such a problem sleeping? Of course there are those with medical problems, but that a different story. We’re talking about those who are simply stressed out. Those who are so bothered.

In the New York Times article by Stephanie Saul, she wrote drug companies spent $298 million in 2005 to “convince consumers that the sleep aids are safe and effective.”

‘“Experts acknowledge that insomnia has become a cultural benchmark — a side effect of an overworked, overwrought society. "Clearly, there's a significant increase in people who report insomnia and, from my perspective, that is the result of our modern-day lifestyle," said Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs, a psychologist.”’

Safety or Privacy is what the average American must choose between. As technology continues to advance and crime increase the safety has become a main priority. But are the many advances just taking it a little too far?

According to an article in USA Today 10 airports have installed full body scanners. Full body scanners are scanners that one must go in to pass security. An image will be produced of the full naked body in detail. Although it is such a great machine that insures our safety, isn't it taking our privacy away?

With the full body scanner all privacy is eliminated and is exposed to strangers that work with the scanner. Not only that, but where do the images go? Are they completely eliminated from the system?

Maybe airports aren’t a big deal to many, but the everyday use of the internet can be. Millions have an email account and are registered in Google mail, Facebook or other similar internet sites that offer free internet communication to loved ones.

It’s free in the sense of no pay, but those who use this websites and have accounts are selling their privacy. Daniel Lyons wrote, “Our privacy has become a kind of currency.”

How else would these sites make a profit if they are free?

For example Google, reads one’s e-mail and based on the keywords in the private messages, ads are directed at you. If one types about soccer, they might get a soccer ad.

So in other words internet services sell ones name to advertisers for profit. So much about caring for our privacy!

Bradbury said if a disaster was to happen hospitals and libraries should be the first to be rebuilt. And it's alarming that in our day, because of budget cuts, those two are the first ones being cut.

The next generation will be robbed of the true history. Texas, the largest buyer of textbooks, is somewhat in charge of what children will learn. Recently conservatives morphed the “liberal” historical figures. The Texas Board of Education did so without a historian present. Thomas Jefferson was an inspirational revolutionary writer. His part was downsized and replaced with more conservative figures.

James C. McKinley Jr. wrote, ‘“Jefferson is not well liked among conservatives on the board because he coined the term “separation between church and state.”’

The fact that people can warp the past into what they please is a direct example of what Orwell described in 1984.

While reading these books we have both realized the effects of a society that has accepted the term “ignorance as strength.”

Not only has it triggered us to think about the future but it also has made us more aware of our surroundings.

It leaves us with just one question.

What will 2050 look like? Thats your choice.