The harsh truth I have struggled to admit is, in fact, very real: I am just as guilty of being over-reliant and addicted to technology as most millennials are. This huge habit needs to be changed.
Ever since I have gotten my first phone. I have never forgotten to bring my phone to school, except once this year. That
one day, I felt empty and awkward. I would catch myself reaching into the backpack pocket where I usually put my phone, only to search and realize that I didn’t have my phone with me. Dumb habits, but this definitely is much deeper than that. My phone is such a staple of my life, without it, I truly felt like I couldn’t communicate with my parents, couldn’t text them to pick me up (since I still don’t have my license and unlike every other senior, I can’t drive). I felt very anxious and unsure, even though I was literally just at school. Thinking back, this situation made me realize how much I truly rely on my phone.
Have you ever left your phone at home for a day? I want you to process this for a second, and think about how you felt. Keep this in mind as you read on.
“There Will Come Soft Rains” is a futuristic short story written by Ray Bradbury, set on August 4th, 2026 in Allendale, California. It takes place in a nuclear-destructed city, with no humans left alive. The story features a mysteriously empty house, with not a single trace of humanity found inside. There is, however, oddly enough, seemingly lively machinery found inside of the house, continuing to serve imaginary human masters.
It is quite easy to quickly misunderstand Bradbury’s overtly negative tone towards technology. The way the attributes of the house and its machinery are described, down to details, reflect a startling sense of unnaturalness. Everything about the house is perfectly coordinated, like an ideal house should be, yet it is so perfectly mechanic that it becomes everything an ideal house wouldn’t be.
The house is described as “afraid”, “empty”, “alone”, “bored on a mechanical paranoia”, and “silent”. There are no traces of nature found inside the house either, there are only artificial remnants of living beings: the tiny robotic cleaning mice, the butterfly-esque tables, the assortment of brightly giraffes, lions, antelopes, panthers, and insects on the nursery walls meant to recreate a meadow.
The house also eerily runs entirely on its own despite its lack of human life, cooking up breakfasts and dinners for no one to eat, setting up entertainment for no one to enjoy, running baths for no one to bath. The house’s set schedule demonstrates how little its inhabitants are in control of living.
It is crucial to note, however, that Bradbury is not necessarily opposed to technology in general, in his other works, he has even promoted the advancement of technology. As Robert Dominnianni in his critique of Bradbury’s works, likens this short story, “the machinery no longer serves humanity…humanity is subservient to machinery”. Based on the machinery’s actions, you really can tell that everything is planned out for the previous inhabitants, one of the themes of this story. There is no need to think, just follow blindly. Okay? No! It’s not okay! You become a robot!
As you might think, this story shockingly relates a lot to the current events, specifically in technology. As we all know, technology has really advanced over recent years as computer science has grown more popular and our knowledge of artificial intelligence has allowed robots to become more human-like and do human-like tasks. Factory workers and many customer service systems have already begun to rely a lot on robots, to keep costs down. We will only rely more and more on AI as it largely simplifies our lives.
To find out more about AI:
What I find especially mindblowing is that Ray Bradbury published this piece in 1950, just after World War II. He predicted this trend in technology, and his warning is very true today. Just think about your phone. How many times do you check it a day? I have an extremely bad habit of unconsciously reaching for it in my free time, and I’m sure you do too. By now, if you’ve ever left your phone at home for a day, I’m sure you’ve also realized how lost you truly are without it, just like how I was. Have you ever thought that, possibly, we are being controlled by our phones, just like the machines did in the story?
But why should you feel lost? We should not feel this way. Technology is meant for a tool for us to use, and we should not be controlled by technology.
Think about it: how much do you really rely on your phone? This problem won’t go away, and will only become worse. Start your journey to overcoming overreliance to technology by getting a copy of “There Will Come Soft Rains Today” to fully experience the mysteriousness of the house today! What happens to the lonely house in the empty world, with no humans around? This could be us in the future, find out what happens!