Sunshine Kline
Professor Sherman
English 122-Essay#2
15 March 2010
The Trouble With Technology In a society overwhelmed with technology, gizmos and gadgets, people fail to clearly see what is happening to this once engaged country. With all of the new technology being used to make everyone’s life easier, people have become increasingly detached from society. More importantly, they grow further apart from each other, unaware of the separation caused by these gadgets and new evolutions. A chronicler of the American experience, Daniel J. Boorstin, wrote a book called Democracy and Its Discontents: Reflections on Everyday America (1974). In the chapter called Technology and Democracy Boorstin argues that “the nation’s problems arise not so much from our failures as from our successes” (391). He insinuates throughout the whole chapter and in his thesis that he believes democracy in America has failed. Four specific consequences are discussed in this chapter, revealing the detrimental ramifications that technology has had on America. The most important being the lack of community and self isolation. Seeing the obvious metamorphosis that has taken place in this country since the rapture of technology— it is easy to say that America’s attempt to combine technology with democracy has failed miserably because it has caused such a severe decline in the assemblage and congregation among the people. The first consequence Boorstin writes about is “attenuation: the thinning or flattening of an experience” (391). He also refers to this as the democratizing of experience, the decline of poignancy and the removal of distinctions. He is implying that America has become desensitized, numb and has lost its sense of imagination and excitement for original experience. In his writing, Boorstin uses several examples to capture the understanding of the reader. In the first example the author uses a television to show how “the distinction between being here and being there” is lost (Boorstin 391). Televisions make it possible for people to stay isolated in their home, never needing to leave for the sake of entertainment. Try to imagine—a sports fan sitting on the front line at the Super Bowl, their favorite team is winning, they can feel the wet paint of the winning team on their face, they’re drinking an ice cold beverage and sitting next to someone special having a great time. Now picture the same sports fan sitting at home in front of the TV watching the game. The vacuum cleaner is running, the dog is barking, there are sirens in the background and the baby keeps dumping over the chips and dip. Not quite the same experience is it? No, it’s not. The same goes for the camera and the music player. Instead of being there to see a baby’s first smile, a picture is taken instead and the joys of seeing the baby’s smile are lost because all concentration is focused on taking the perfect picture. Instead of hearing an orchestra play and being there to shake the conductor’s hand, one only gets to hear a recording of the performance. That is the removal of distinction and the attenuation of an experience. The second and most important consequence mentioned in Boorstin’s writing is the “decline in congregation” (396). He uses a very specific example by telling a story about “Rebecca at the well” (396). Rebecca was a girl who lived in a village. When she was in need of water she would just go down to the well. While at the well, she had the opportunity to socialize with other people who were also getting water. Once running water was introduced, Rebecca didn’t need to go out for water anymore. Therefore, she stayed in her little apartment using only her telephone to socialize. This is a prime example of isolation caused by technology. There are many other forms of technology that isolate and keep people from being around or with other people. One excellent example would be Facebook, a social networking website accessed by millions of people online every day. Instead of people assembling together to socialize, they use Facebook as a substitute. People and families become more and more detached from one another everyday because they are using these types of replacements to fulfill their relationships. Cell phones are another good example. Texting is being used as an alternative for having engaging conversations with other human beings. Unfortunately, the descent of fellowship is a condition that has become alarmingly present in today’s society. Boorstin describes the third consequence as “the rising sense of momentum.” Which he maintains is the “new determination” (397). Boorstin explains that “Momentum in physics is the product of a body’s mass and its linear velocity. Increasing scale and speed of operation increase the momentum” (397). Striving to obtain the reader’s comprehension, the author uses three examples of such consequences. The first example he used was atomic research. For years, research had been done in an effort to successfully build an atomic bomb. Billions of dollars were spent in an effort to sustain this project, along with a colossal amount of time and investment. Boorstin writes, because “People were organized all over the country in various ways. It was impossible to stop” (398). What he is trying to illustrate is that they had already invested so much that they couldn’t just stop once the ball was already rolling.
Space exploration and foreign aid were also used as similar examples of momentum, accentuating the fact that so much time and money is spent by the government in both of these areas. He compares foreign aid to a bad habit that was entered into and can’t be stopped because “other countries would resent the decline of aid and consider it a hostile act, even though they might not have felt that way if we hadn’t started the aid in the first place” (Boorstin398). The atomic bomb, the space research and the foreign aid leave the average citizen feeling like the world is flying by out of control with no balance, as if he were helpless to do or say anything. Finally, the fourth and last consequence Boorstin unravels is America’s tendency to believe in solutions. He discusses how people usually fix a problem by coming up with a solution only to end up with a new problem. His theory is that in the end, there are no solutions, only problems. Boorstin refutes a quote by Al Smith, “All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy” (399). He argues that is like trying to fix a problem with a problem and contends, “Every seeming solution is a new problem” (Boorstin 401). The example given for this consequence is the automobile. He writes, “When you democratize the speedy automobile and give everybody an automobile, the result is a traffic jam; and this is the sense in which the “solution” of technological problems presents us with obstacles to the fulfillment of what is human in our society” (Boorstin 401). His message is that you can’t fix anything by piling more of the problem onto the already fallacious situation. In Boorstin’s chapter titled Technology and Democracy, he deliberates the invention of central heat and air and new processes for preserving vegetables and meats. He discussed the pros and cons of both inventions. The direction taken is that there are both acceptable and unacceptable developments that have materialized from technology and democracy. One might argue that there have been so many innovative technology breakthroughs in today’s society that it would be impossible to ever go without them or return to an earlier time where technology didn’t exist. For instance, there is now a way to control the climate by using central heat and air which is excellent because that allows for comfort. But on the downside, when central heat and air were first installed in homes, that took away the cellar which took away the ability to preserve fruits and vegetables which in turn caused farmers to have to increase production which increased the use and demand for fuel, and so on and so on like a chain reaction. In some cases, technology and democracy aren’t all that bad. However, for the most part, the world needs to slow down, take a deep breath and stop making the world so complicated by trying to democratize everything. A lot of people believe that combining technology with democracy simplifies their life because of the organization and logic it brings to the table. After taking a long hard look at history and the adventure it tells, one might realize that because of all the new technology and gadgets, life’s precious moments and experiences are being missed out on. Technology and democracy have become a monumental part of this world and could easily be identified as the fundamental cause for the segregation that is happening in this country today. This is not just a consequence it is a condition—a condition that is hurting families in America. Children are suffering because they don’t get the time they need with their parents, adults are suffering because they are isolating themselves from other people by being excessively engrossed in Facebook, Myspace and other similar websites. People are just not getting the most out of life or its experiences anymore. It is important to understand that the momentum Boorstin writes about is proof that there are consequences to everything, good or bad. Foreign aid for instance, is a wonderful gift of giving but look at America now. America is practically obligated to help other countries who are in need. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever when America has homeless people and starving children right here that need help now. Unfortunately, because of the momentum, the money for foreign aid cannot or will not be stopped and redirected. Once again, another problem rears its ugly head waiting for a solution. Think about what the next generation will be like if this country keeps pushing to democratize everything they get their hands on. All one can hope for is a better tomorrow.

Works Cited
Boorstin, Daniel J. “Technology and Democracy (1974).” Ideas Across Time: Classic and Contemporary Readings for Composition. Webb, Igor. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2008. 390-402. Print.