Book Burning

      Exactly how large of an impact has media, such as television and the internet, had on American society? The media can be seen as helping and harming the generations of America due to its almost instant gratification features. In the popular science fiction novel, Fahrenheight 451, written by author Ray Bradbury in 1953 he shows his audience the concepts of the destruction of critical thinking and how technology will replace reading in the future. In this way, Bradbury is sending the message to society that we need to continue reading or one day our entire American culture may start burning books in the near future. Is Bradbury correct that our society is losing critical thinking abilities due to this new form of media?

     Bradbury is, in a way, correct in the message he was conveying to his audience. Television viewing has been steadily increasing since 1953, when the novel was published, and seems to be continuing the pattern to this day, as seen in the chart below. It’s easy to see how Television could be affecting someone’s habits or even their thinking and reducing them to an almost couch potato. The question is, whether the increase in Television watching is affecting our brains in a good, or a bad way. The article, Television and Children, written by Kyla Boyse and reviewed by Brad Bushman, PhD, discusses the results. Although they do not have a clear idea on the exact results, “Some studies link early TV viewing with later attention problems, such as ADHD.  However, other experts disagree with these results.” Boyse goes on to say that Television viewing for children between ages three and five increased reading scores. This shows that there is no definite answer to how the media, namely Television, affects our way of thinking.

     I don’t believe that Television and the Internet have destroyed Americans’ ability to read and think critically about ideas. This is due to the fact that many Americans continue to read heavily even if they aren’t forced to. It does seem that the media has affected the time we have to read, however. There are an abundance of distractions fifty years after Bradbury wrote his book, such as the Television, Internet, radio stations, and the continuous advance of technology. Since the average time spent watching Television has increased, that leaves less time to read books and stay focused on something that requires our complete attention. Although I don’t think we will be heading towards the same path described in Bradbury’s novel where authorities will burn books.

     There are rituals in which groups of people burn books which date back to the 1900’s. The organizational website, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, discusses the practice of book burning, “Usually carried out in a public context, the burning of books represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural, religious, or political opposition to the materials in question.” As seen in the picture below, these are groups that generally burn books because they disagree with their own beliefs or ways of living, which is one of the themes in Fahrenheit 451. I don’t believe that American authorities will proceed to burn books due to the fact that we have such a high value of freedom of speech in the country. Everyone wants their voice to be heard and be able to speak their mind; this is possible in America where it is not so possible in other countries. Although the average time spent reading may decrease as technology increases, books will not be burned due to these factors.

Complicated Controversies

   

     There is rarely a single solution to a controversy, whether it is political, religious, or scientific. People continually argue that their one point of view is the only way to solve a problem, when in reality, that is hardly true. In general, we like to believe that a solution an issue will eventually make everyone agree and be happy. In most cases, one side will always feel as if they were cheated or it was not the right decision. People are uncomfortable with the idea that some problems just don’t have a single solution that will solve everything. The main issue seems to be that the person arguing for their side of the problem wants everything to go their way. People will generally say, “Well all you have to do is this” and they believe it will solve the entire phenomena. This is rarely true as we have seen throughout many global issues. This is especially true in the controversy of the Mosque being built at Ground Zero. Both sides of the argument claim to be right, don’t build the Mosque near Ground Zero, or allow it to be built. Whichever solution prevails, one side will be offended.

     If the Mosque is allowed to be built near Ground Zero, the majority of the country will be in awe. The Mosque would be a place of worship for the people it is adhering to, and Obama agrees that the Mosque should be built, in a USAToday article he states, “Muslims have the right to practice their religion, that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property.” Although they do have the right to do this, it is largely offensive to the majority of the United States. Not everyone will be satisfied with this proposed solution.

     The same can be said if the Mosque is be built near Ground Zero it will not satisfy everyone either. An organization called American Center for Law & Justice wrote an article about why the Mosque should not be built, stating that Ground Zero is, “[. . .] the sacred site where Islamic terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center and claimed the lives of thousands of innocent Americans.” They have an online petition available and over 45,000 people have signed it in hope of the Mosque not being built. This solution would also offend many people in the country of the United States because it violates their right to do so.

     In reality, no matter what solution is chosen, someone will be unhappy. The issue is constantly being debated on who is right and wrong. Allowing the Mosque to be built but at a different location would not solve the problem, many people would still feel that they are violating the constitution. In this way, the controversy will never satisfy both sides of the argument simultaneously.

    

Pop Culture Influence

     Throughout history technology has impacted society both positively and negatively. Technology can range from something as simple as a microwave, to something as vast as the internet. It has made life much easier for anyone that has access to new types of technology. Without these new inventions, travelling across the world to visit relatives might still be impossible unless a boat is taken. The internet is a large component of today’s society and is used being used every day. YouTube is a website that allows for anyone who creates a free account to upload videos for the whole world to see. These videos consist of virtually anything, such as a newscast or even clip of friends playing sports. YouTube has an abundance of positive effects on society.
     One of YouTube’s most positive impacts on today’s society is the ability for informational videos, such as documentaries, to be viewed by anyone. These videos can provide information to help someone understand a subject and can be used for educational purposes as well. Some large companies, such as National Geographic, have their own YouTube account and upload educational clips from their very own documentaries. If a project called for information on landslides, you could easily type in Landslides in the search bar and discover fascinating results.However, YouTube is not without its faults.
     YouTube cannot block every video immediately breaking the law. Gulf News points out that the Dubai Police Department requested the website to be blocked due to material inappropriate for young children. The solution to this isn’t exactly simple, requiring a much larger moderator group to examine every video that is being uploaded to make sure it is completely fine for all audiences. They also discuss the mocking of religions to be a negative point of the website. This is nothing more than a simple parody. Parodies are made about almost anything; this doesn’t seem to be a valid point for the blocking of YouTube. YouTube has also become a place of passion.
     There are countless videos on YouTube, and millions of people accessing this website. Many people showcase their talent on videos, or something that is a passion or hobby of theirs, such as: music, film making, sports, or even to discuss an opinion. Some fascinating pieces of work have been posted on YouTube showcasing talent, and some artists have even been discovered and have been turned into a worldwide pop star, such as Justin Bieber. Discovering certain videos can even be inspiring and magical to a certain extent. This Cover of a few popular songs mixed into one is an incredible showcase of talent. YouTube allows for people to use their imagination to make a masterpiece for everyone to see.
     Nothing is without its flaws, and YouTube is no exception to the rule. However, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives in this case, whether searching for an educational, comedy, or music video, almost anything can be found on YouTube. The website serves many purposes, but it is clear that almost everyone can find something of importance on it.

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