Student Question
What does Ray Bradbury say about over-reliance on the Internet and social media?
Quick answer:
Ray Bradbury was critical of over-reliance on the Internet and social media, viewing them as distractions that diminish genuine human interaction. He described the Internet as "a big distraction" and ebooks as "meaningless," emphasizing that such technologies are "not real" because they exist only "in the air." Bradbury believed these technologies create a virtual reality that detracts from authentic human experiences, suggesting he would oppose limiting human expression to brief, superficial formats.
I think that it is clear that Ray Bradbury would not and did not advocate much of where the internet and social media leads people. He would support the idea that the over-reliance on such technology can only bring about more bad than good. Consider his own words about the internet to this point. He has described the internet as "a big distraction," and described ebooks as smelling "like burning fuel." Bradbury stressed the idea that such examples of technology were "meaningless" and "not real" because "It's in the air somewhere." Certainly, these quotes reflect how Bradbury felt about the ideas of an over-reliance on technology. Given Bradbury's body of work and how he stressed the ideas that a technologically driven future in which over-reliance on the internet and social media could be real and distinctly negative possibilities, it makes sense. Bradbury would be against such realities because they are "not real," in his paradigm. They represent a form of "virtual" or created reality and not a realm in which human interaction is enhanced or sustained. Bradbury's opposition to such realities could be where one would find his greatest disdain for an over-reliance on the internet and social media. One can only imagine how Bradbury would rail against the idea that human expression is limited to "140 characters or less."
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