In “The Machine Stops”, E.M. Forster depicts his prediction of future human society being heavily dependent on technology. Apart from the Earth, humans all live in a separate structure, and the protagonist Vashti is considered as a “civilized” member as she worships the Machine and provides “ideas” to the community. Loss of human interaction and emotion are one of the most prominent themes in the story that intrigue the reader.
In fact, humans are already on the way to complete “isolation” by using various social media such as Wechat, Youtube, and Facebook. Instead of meeting up face-to-face, we send messages, facetime, and even make new relationships through apps. For example, we can get a myriad of information from Youtube, and some people who are addicted to it do not socialize with others, but rather enjoy being alone. Furthermore, what I have realized especially in China is that it is impossible to go outside without a phone since everything, from payment to calling a taxi, is operated by mobile applications. Likewise, as most of the processes are being mechanized, we get less opportunity to interact with people. It is undeniable that the advent of technology has brought a number of benefits to humans; however, as Forster illustrates, if we let it overwhelm us and recklessly admire it, humans will eventually end up losing our original thoughts and independence. Therefore, we should be aware that technology is also man-made, and thus it cannot be superior to us.