Hello there! I’m Charis Beller and this is my presentation on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Now, our main question is deeply rooted in the contexts of technology. While some people think that technology has only improved our human capabilities and made life easier, others believe that technology is slowly substituting humanity, thereby lessening it.

First of all, lets get some definitions out of the way. The definition of technology is is the application of tools, materials and knowledge to solve problems and extend human capabilities. The definition of a human is having human form or attributes as opposed to those of animals or divine beings.

Setting those aside, let’s create the historical context for the big technological advancements. Forbes Magazine explains, through their article, “The Soaring Twenties,” how during the 1920s, technology drastically changed the world (Forbes 2). This included the economy, family life, social life, and more. However, in American history, “When the Depression hit, a lot of the policy responses were aimed at trying to turn back the clock—not on excess, but on the changes brought by technology” (Forbes 2). All in all we see a transformed world by the end of the 1920s. What are those inventions that changed the world however?

A few of these pieces of technology progressed specifically through household life and work life. Electricity, central heating, indoor plumbing, and running water made other household productions possible, including “washers, electric irons, refrigerators and so on” (Forbes 6). These took away much of a woman’s job in the nineteen-twenties, allowing her to work outside the house as well, in turn shifting the whole identity of what it meant to be a family. In the work life, cars, specially the Model T Ford and other machinery sped up the work load immensely. Throughout this time, life sped up and the face of a family changed.

In our novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald relates the new technological context to consumerism, overwhelming a man’s values and morals for material items. The party scene, where such luxurious and extravagant items float about, and chaos hereafter ensues gives the perfect example for why technological advancements have degraded morality (Fitzgerald 40). Another great example for how technology is harming lives lies in the car: “The “death car” as the newspapers called it, didn’t stop” (Fitzgerald 137). Gatsby and Daisy, with the help of technology, murder a helpless woman.

However, the psychological and physical impacts on Gatsby prove far more drastic. The massive amounts of lavish technology Gatsby has enveloped himself in, creates a slow downfall for Gatsby. This can be seen as “he was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes (Fitzgerald 84). Also, the idea that wealth in the form of luxurious technology can get you anywhere, fails Gatsby several times and leads to psychological problems. As Gatsby is screaming that Daisy must be with him he “looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house” (Gatsby 110). Clearly, Gatsby shows signs of depression, sleeplessness, and other mental problems.

In real life, there are many psychological impacts when it comes to technological progress, including those that Gatsby experienced.
Jon Johnson describes in his article “Negative Effects of Technology,” that “Technologies, such as social media, are designed to bring people together, yet they may have the opposite effect in some cases” (Johnson 12).

Just as Gatsby was slowly isolated, we today gradually drift apart into the fake front that social media and other technologies hold. Many physical impacts include sleep problems, reduced physical activity, eye strain, and poor posture (Johnson 15). We may want to rethink how far we have let technology infiltrate our lives.

Finally in Tim Chao’s “The Dangers of Technological Progress,” the question of the speed of life arises. Chao explains that “"technology is a more powerful social force than the aspiration for freedom, …while technological progress AS A WHOLE continually narrows our sphere of freedom, each new technical advance CONSIDERED BY ITSELF appears to be desirable"” (Chao 5). The big question remains here, will technology be so ingrained in society as to destroy it and imprison humanity? Interesting enough, we are currently trapped at home at the failure of technology to cure the ever growing Covid-19. Thousands are now experiencing the full effects of technological destruction on humanity, including depression, anxiety, eye strain, sleeplessness, reduced physical activity and much more.

So, what do we do? Is technology really all that bad? I would say if used the correct way and in the correct balance, technology can be a useful tool that can extend human capabilities. However, because of advertisement, futuristic ideals, and the social norms in society, we have slowly drifted into a community dependent on technology and its functions. There may not be a way to turn back at this point, so all we can do is refocus our eyes on the Lord. Especially during this coincidental quarantine, at the height of technological peak, we are placed in front of each other. Let’s look at each other instead of our screens, and not allow the imminent lessening of our humanity through the constant use of technology.

Works Cited

Chao, Tim. “The Dangers of Technological Development.” Stanford Education, Stanford Education, n.d., cs.stanford.edu/people/ eroberts/cs181/projects/technology-dangers/ issues.html. Accessed 24 April 2020.
Fitzgerald, Scott F. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1953.
Johnson, Jon. “Negative Effects of Technology: Psychological, Social, and Health.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 25 Feb. 2020, www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/negative-effects-of-technology. Accessed 24 April 2020.
“The Soaring Twenties.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 19 June 2013, www.forbes.com/ 2009/07/28/great-depression-roosevelt- hoover-opinions-columnists-thomas-f- cooley.html#6db62e3cd9d3. Accessed 24 April 2020.