May | 2018 | Sara's Blog

Societal influences; noun. Refers to external factors that prompt change in an individual. It is the alteration of behavior that may cause one in another, either intentionally or unintentionally, which as a result, the changed person perceives themselves in relationship to the influencer, other people and society. It inflicts the way we form our thoughts, behavior, and actions. We as humans have lost the true meaning of life and losing ourselves along the way, due to of our dependence and misuse of technology we may be losing even more. As we as a society climb up the walls of technological advancements, we as a whole may potentially lose more than we can ever imagine.

In the 2008 Pixar film WALL-E, shares many similar themes that connect to Fahrenheit 451 and our world today. WALL-E is an excellent example of dehumanization. Dehumanization is the term used when someone who lacks basic human qualities such as individuality, creativity, and compassion. Altogether, there isn’t much humanity left in the movie. There is little to no interactions with humans, and the experience of meeting new people and building relationships have been lost. The same trends are happening to everyone around the world, people are less aware of what’s around and would rather play video games all day than enjoy nature, people who would rather be on their phones while the world just passes by. It also portrays what our world will become in the near future if we continue to be oblivious to our environmental problems. In the movie, society is forced to leave earth because humans have destroyed the planet with waste and is no longer inhabitable. The movie expresses how if we do not start to take responsibility in the disposing of waste properly we could end up with the same environmental issues, and we will most likely not have a spaceship to fall back on: “If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.” They are then provided with a luxury life controlled by technology and consumers. All manual occupations have been replaced by artificial intelligence to do the work of a human. In our current culture technology is advancing rapidly. Before we know it artificial intelligence is running the world. Not only will we have self driving cars, they will communicate with each other. All to improve our convenience and safety. Our homes are also being automated by our voice commands. In these stories human beings are discovering the truth about themselves, and that there is hope in a world full of technology. They found how to repurpose their technology and move humanity forward with the hope that nature can be regenerated. Along with Granger’s grandfather’s philosophy of life which we can create a better world than before and change ourselves for a healthy life: “touch, change, something… make it better than before… make a difference” (pg.156-157) The ending credits of WALL-E had images of the evolving civilization, going from the cave paintings to Egypt, Greece and to the “tree of life”. The tree of life symbolizes the resurrection of happiness being redefined with the rebirth of nature the healing of culture, religions, and nations, a beautiful new beginning for humanity.

Just as WALL-E shows societal influence, so too does the phrase ‘ikigai. ’ There’s a Japanese concept for our meaning and happiness called ‘ikigai’. Ikigai means “a reason for being”. It’s typically used for determining your values in one’s life or things that may make one’s life worthwhile. Using this concept to define what in life do you love and care about is important because the Japanese believe if you find your ikigai you will live a much longer and happier life. There is a growing body of evidence to support that most people believe their life is complete if they have technology, money and an ok career: “it encompasses the idea that happiness in life is about more than money or a fancy job title.” Regarding this, Montag from Fahrenheit 451 was unhappy with what his life was turning into. He discovered that reading books and having conceptual conversations would be his purpose, to find others who shared the same interests in education and resurrecting a new society: “are you happy?” (Pg.10) The question Clarisse asks Montag is important because the idea that Montag is not doing what brings him personal satisfaction and happiness is what makes him look closer at his life, including his job, wife, and his ikigai. His wife Mildred is the epitome for false ikigai. She believed that her life was completed with the parlor in her hands and medication in her veins. She had no reason to become a real human when all important knowledge and creativity has been banned: “Her face was like a snow-covered island upon which rain might fall, but it left no rain; over which clouds might pass their moving shadows, but she felt no shadow. There was only the singing of the thimble-wasps in her tamped-shut ears, and her eyes all glass, and breath going in and out, softly, faintly, in and out of her nostrils, and her not caring whether it came or went, went or came.” (Pg.11) To reach your ikigai, you shouldn’t give up on your passions. If you believe the things you do are good, and you are passionate for it, you will reach it. If you are good at it, and believe you can earn a decent livelihood, you can do it. Lastly, if you believe it is important, you will reach your ikigai.

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 shows the parallels between the novel and our current society. The use of satire within the novel expresses many exaggerated connections of our culture to the book. Among other articles and movies Fahrenheit 451 was written in 1953. It has showed the significance of cultural decline to technology and consumers; it also signifies the free expression of thought and care to the society’s explication to learning. This dystopian novel demonstrates the extreme levels of censorships. Most characters thoughts in the novel were manipulated and suppressed to think inhumanely. The banning of books was the start of dehumanization to their culture. Beatty explained to Montag that censorship happened because the people allowed it. People stopped reading so that things could be done faster and make people happier. Regarding this people in our culture have stopped reading for these same reasons, and soon enough we might (add more). The government didn’t have to do very much because most people don’t have the desire to read anyways: “It didn’t come from the government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God. Today, thanks to them, you can stay happy all the time..” (Pg. 55) Bradbury’s main theme is actually the creation of mass culture. As technology got more popular and expanded all over the world, the world got figuratively smaller. Living everyday through technology we lost connections with each other; believing that technology will make us more connected to society, but it doesn’t mean it’s gonna bring us closer to each other.

To conclude, technology is the downfall of our society. It is the newest societal influence plaguing not only adults, but the youth of today. It inflicts the thoughts, actions, and the overall person, altering them slowly with each use of this new hindrance. Though it may have a use to us, it also has led down into more turmoil than we have had (with things such as cyber bullying, image issues, etc..). This could lead us to the dehumanization of society just as in the film WALL-E. With each time technology advances, we as a whole slowly tear away the very reality we have today, to the point where it could be even unrecognizable in a few years time. Just as the banning of books lead to the dehumanization of humans, so too does the technological advancements the year 2018 forward. As we begin to breach into new technology, we mustn’t forget the culture and tradition we have as a society for the sake of humanity itself.

Citations:

The Japanese Concept ‘ikigai’ Is a Formula For Happiness and Meaning

Melody Wilding – https://betterhumans.coach.me/the-japanese-concept-ikigai-is-a-formula-for-happiness-and-meaning-8e497e5afa99