Technology, it has become the foundation of our lives; the short story The Veldt by Ray Bradbury perfectly depicts what the future may potentially hold for the global society. Individuals fulfil their day-to-day activities either getting help from technology, or they are just making technology do it entirely. It may seem harmless now, but technology is growing every day, advancing every minute, it is expanding at a pace where consumers just cannot keep up. If this pace continues, or inclines, then what will be left in the world?

Ray Bradbury created this satirical tale at the time when technology was starting to become a nuisance. No one saw the potential consequences of this phenomenon, no one except Ray Bradbury. He noticed how families were growing apart, children distancing themselves from their parents; technology was growing, while society was shrinking. In The Veldt, we witness the change that occurs in the Hadley children- Peter and Wendy. The love for their futuristic surroundings easily replaced their love for their parents; as a result, they ended up taking their parent’s lives. The message that I, personally interpreted from this story was that the more advanced technology gets, the lazier society gets simultaneously; for example, there are cars out in the market that have the ability to Parallel Park by themselves. Consumers and critics call this a breakthrough, I call this laziness. We have all seen this development in technology; the animated movie Over the Hedge even mentions how cars are slowly immobilizing humans. But technology also has had a good impact on society. With new research and equipment, doctors have been able to find cures for the incurable, scientists have been able to discover what we can see beyond our naked eye, and have given us the ability to fly.

Society has adapted to technology being constantly around it, when something is gone or taken away, we miss it. Even in The Veldt, the Hadley parents realize how harmful technology truly is when they start to witness the changes occurring in their children. They realize that everything in life needs to be balanced, not just technology, but if they realized this sooner, they could have save their children’s lives. Just recently, I forgot my iPhone at school, and have been living without it for the whole weekend now. The first day, I felt like a piece of me was missing, with my social networking, texting, playing games, I felt a bit sad when I would look over at my pillow and see that my phone wasn’t at my side. But, I have gotten somewhat used to not having my phone around me; I have been able to find other means of entertainment that does not include a small LED screen. Technology is something that we cannot just quit cold turkey on; it’s inevitable, but, it is possible to create a balance. In my case, when I think about my phone, and how much I miss it, I read, or do something that can help me take my mind off of it. The main point is that technology is not everything, it never was, and it never will be. The next time you find yourself staring at that small LED screen, stop and look around, for the things that you will find is mind-blowing.