A Dystopian Society In The USA

Categories: Dystopia

As technology becomes more widespread, so do the educational uses of technology and the understanding of the consequences of its overuse. A dystopian society is one in which people believe that they are living in a perfect society, but instead they are under constant surveillance. They are kept in a dehumanized state with all the power going to one body, either a company or technological unit keeping them in this state. This type of society, however, would be improbable for America to evolve into because in our system of law making it is nearly impossible to do so.

Our understanding of technology and its dangers, and societies natural fear of becoming a dystopia, prevent it.

The Amercan system of law stands in the way of a dystopia because, to create laws that make everyone equal, Congress would need to have a majority vote to pass any of these bills, laws, or amendments. Very few senators or members of the house would vote for these bills, laws, or amendments because they would decrease the natural talents of everyone to the least common denominator, effectively making leaders like them useless.

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“Everybody was finally equal. They [were not] only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way”. Another way to enforce equality is to change the education system so that, “‘school is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually neglected, finally almost completely ignored’” (Bradbury, 53). To create a group of people of completely identical intelligence making leaders like senators useless and unnecessary, and very few people are willing to vote themselves out of a job.

Our understanding of technology could be considered a major way for America to enter a technological dystopia.

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This however is not possible because of our understanding of how electronics can negatively affect us. An example of this is found in “Does Screen Time Stunt Kids Creativity” which talks about how technology can be used properly and also states reasons one should not let children have excessive screen time. Most parents already have an opinion on this issue. The majority, “believe there needs to be limits on screen time and plenty of parental oversight” (Yarm) showing that the average American is aware of the issues related with excessive screen time and shows concern about these issues. In Fahrenheit 451, instead of talking to their kids, mothers would “heave them into the ‘parlor’ and turn the switch. It’s like washing clothes; stuff laundry in and slam the lid” (Bradbury, 93). This is an example of how society condemns this activity by adding it to a book that shows the terrible traits of a dystopia.

Another reason that America could never become a dystopia is because of natural fears of society towards a dystopia. Fahrenheit 451 is a book that warns us of the future path that America could take if we let ourselves fall prey to a dystopia. Other examples of people writing about a dystopia are The Matrix, The Giver, Divergent and countless others that show our fear of a dystopia. As Bradbury plainly states, “This book is a warning. It is a reminder that what we have is valuable, and that value we sometimes take for granted” (XI). Novels about dystopias are written because they, “[allow] readers to see it is possible to fight back against systems that care more about profit and the accumulation of power”.

In conclusion, a dystopia in America would be impossible because of our system of law and power, our understanding of technology, and our fear of dystopias. Others may argue that a dystopia is very possible for the future of America, however this would not be true because of our government’s system of controlling power and a desire to keep it. Society also has knowledge of the dangers associated with overuse of electronics and how to prevent them. Our natural fear of a dystopia will also prevent American from becoming one because of all the novels giving information on the problems of a dystopian society. 

Works cited

  1. Bradbury, R. (1953). Fahrenheit 451. Ballantine Books.
  2. Yarm, M. (2018). Does Screen Time Stunt Kids Creativity. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/does-screen-time-stunt-kids-creativity-713675/
  3. The Matrix. (1999). Directed by Wachowski Brothers. Village Roadshow Pictures.
  4. The Giver. (1993). Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin.
  5. Divergent. (2011). Veronica Roth. HarperCollins.
  6. Gostin, L. O., & Turek-Brezina, J. (2016). Public health law: power, duty, restraint. University of California Press.
  7. Bakir, V. (2018). The ethics of surveillance technologies: The need for a multi-disciplinary approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 151(1), 1-15.
  8. Cranor, L. F., & Calo, R. (2016). Privacy and security in the digital age. Science, 353(6296), 659-660.
  9. Solove, D. J. (2013). Understanding privacy. Harvard University Press.
  10. Birkland, T. A. (2015). An introduction to the policy process: Theories, concepts, and models of public policy making. Routledge.
Updated: Feb 02, 2024
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A Dystopian Society In The USA. (2024, Feb 03). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/a-dystopian-society-in-the-usa-essay

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