I read a short story awhile back, that was eerily prophetic, and fore-warning of the future:
"The Machine Stops", a short science fiction story, written in 1909.
According to Wikipedia, "'The Machine Stops' describes a world in which almost all humans have lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual lives in isolation in a 'cell', with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine. Most humans welcome this development, as they are skeptical and fearful of first-hand experience. People forget that humans created the Machine, and treat it as a mystical entity whose needs supersede their own. Those who do not accept the deity of the Machine are viewed as 'unmechanical' and are threatened with "Homelessness". Eventually, the Machine apocalyptically collapses, and the civilization of the Machine comes to an end."
"The Machine Stops" is almost haunting in it’s prediction of the future, especially when you take into account when the story was written--well before World War I--and how little the technological advances were, even at this point. It’s predictions of communication are astounding. For instance--the ability to speak to someone on the other side of the world instantaneously--through a tablet like device. How technology ruled our lives, eventually becoming capable of doing everything for us..to the point where we forgot what life was all about. Forgetting to be spiritual..
You could see this story as the predecessor to Pixar’s “Wall-E”. How we have, and continue to, become so consumed by technology and it’s comfort, that we will become lazy..even start to worship the “machine” itself. What will be the consequences for the human race if we continue on this path of obsession with technology? Is technology the next big evolutionary step? Will it ultimately take over, control, and eventually wipe out humanity all together? These are things we shouldn't leave far from our thoughts. Not pass off as in the “future”. It’s happening now.
Don’t let technology completely rule your life.
