After thoroughly reading “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster, I immediately thought of a recurring topic that the short story directly related to Communication Lab: the existence of technology overpowering the existence of humans. Kuno struggled to maintain a human relationship with his mother Vashti simply as a result of the Machine becoming something that people rely on in all aspects of their lives. I felt that the way the author described the relationship between Kuno and Vashti was incredibly mindful as they used realistic human scenarios connecting to the dangers of technology. While I originally thought that the Machine sounded like an incredible benefit to humans, I quickly realized the author’s intention to show the Machine as a God-like figure that had replaced true human ways of life. By choosing to capitalize “Machine,” I personally viewed the Machine itself as more of a religious or sacred object rather than an actual Machine. Despite the purpose of the Machine to make human functions such as communication easier, when reading through the story, I feel that Vashti and Kuno relied on the Machine too heavily. As a result, I saw this as a similar situation to modern day technology as both Vashti and Kuno forget how to act as humans due to their reliance on the Machine. Similarly to humans in today’s society, we often immediately jump to our phones, computers, or whatever electronic devices we have in hopes of making our day to day communication easier. However, like Kuno and Vashti, too often do we wait until it is too late before realizing the dangers of technology as well as the benefits. Once the Machine is finally destroyed, Kuno and Vashti are freed from its imprisonment. However, their inability to separate true human interaction from technological interaction made me think of everything we as humans are doing today. While advanced programs and devices help us in amazing ways, I feel that it is quite easy to fall into a black hole like Kuno and Vashti’s society. I feel that the story demonstrates issues that may be presented as fictional, but in reality, relate to humans and technology today more than ever. Most of all, I viewed the story as both a message and a lesson. We cannot and should not abuse the privileges of rapidly improving technology. While it makes communicating easier, I feel that it is important to be aware of situations like Kuno and Vashti’s. Therefore, I view technology as beneficial to create works of art and aid basic functions, but also feel that we should not rely on it in replacing our actions as human beings.
Reflection on The-Machine-Stops – Ziying Wang (Jamie)
While reading the first 2 episodes of this fiction, I was wondering about “the ideas” Vashti keeps bringing up. As a lecturer herself, Vashti comes up with ideas inside her machine, without communicating with creatures or natural creations, but she keeps stressing “there are no ideas” when she sees or hears nature. Section 3 mentions in Vashti’s mind, people should learn about “what I think that ” great people think, projecting “the ideas” are no more than what these so-called “advanced people” generate from what the machine chooses to present them with. The machine, the supreme leader, the god of this world, maintains the order of this underground society by restraining the humanity intercourse, in a way it is easier to control, but in another, it degrades people. This system reminds me of the book The Giver, in which the residents are born without feelings, every what we consider as normal human interaction is made into rules or even jobs (giving birth, for example). This system indeed simplifies governing process, for the minds of people are consolidated, but without noticing it themselves, human beings are becoming puppets of the system (in this case, the machine). “The ideas” Vashti considered free-will are planted into her mind beforehand.
This fiction from over 100 years ago projects a similar scenario nowadays. Here, we have the Internet as the machine. Desire communication? There’s no need to head outside, a simple Facetime solves the problem. There’s no denying that the Internet is essential for us and most of us wouldn’t survive a day without it, but judging from the extreme case in the fiction The Machine Stops, we are getting too dependent on the Internet. Think about the time you lost for exercising outdoors just because you got yourself a new iPhone. Put laziness aside, the power of mind control from the Internet can’t be neglected, how many of us are judging others just through online sources? We are not able to examine the authenticity of every source before bring out our “ideas”. The filter bubbles online are just like the knowledge the machine chooses to present the residents with, we are trapped in the filter bubbles created by our browsers every second. Yes, it simplifies our process of getting to the websites that interest us the most, but in that case, our mind can never go beyond the bubbles, we, who still think we are free-minded, are nowhere better than the residents in the machine whom we laugh at.
Comm Lab | Sample Blog Post
Comm Lab | Sample Blog Post by Cindy
This is a optional sample blog post that showcase the ideal format of a post. This WordPress Theme unfortunately does not show author name at most cases. So it is encouraged that students put their names at a prominent place of the post, either in the title or as the opening phrase of the post.