Source: howwewatch.wordpress.com
Earlier this week, I posted a review about Fahrenheit 451 and how it is a commentary on the impact of mass media on our lives. I recently came across an article that conjectures the response Bradbury would have to electronic and social media. Bradbury died in 2012 at the age of 91, and according to the article, he had already commented quite a bit about his displeasure of e-books and online publishing. To a degree, I agree that Bradbury would see social media as a distraction from true creativity and true connection. The gray area appears because much social media is created by consumers as opposed to “big media”.
We’ll never truly know what Bradbury would recommend to us in this new media society, but a YouTube clip in which Bradbury talks about the way writing provides expression and escapism gives us a hint. I think one of Bradbury’s key concerns is that creativity and expression never be limited or stifled. As long as we are creating and are able to do so unrestricted, our ability to connect with one another and express ourselves will be preserved. Whether social media hampers or heightens this process for the long haul is yet to be seen.
