In a world driven by technology, the fight for our attention has become ever more intense. From television, to new AI technology, to social media, to trending topics, the battle to entertain us is not one any large corporation wants to lose. Some could argue that the majority of the media we consume is inherently 'meaningless' in the sense that its main purpose is to provide us with constant stimulation and amusement as a form of distraction. This current age of mass media is a heavily complex phenomenon that society has not only accepted, but also seemingly surrendered to. This display of our society is best expressed through 'The Pedestrian' by Ray Bradbury. The short, dystopian story follows the protagonist, Leonard Mead, as he is arrested for simply walking alone at night for personal enjoyment. It is heavily inferred that in this society, technology not only dominates people's lives, but is seemingly people's lives. Individuals are so absorbed by television that an ordinary task such as walking down the street is deemed peculiar and even a threat. There is little human interaction to the extent that even the police officer who arrests Leonard Mead is in reality, a self-automated vehicle. Though it is also heavily implied that the government plays a large role in the social isolation and conformity in this society, I believe individuals' actions also shaped the nature of their world. Leonard Mead and his story is briefly mentioned in another one of Bradbury's works titled 'Fahrenheit 451'. This dystopian novel envisions a society where books are considered illegal and dangerous and ordered by the government to be burned by firemen, However, the character Faben in the novel explains books, were only able to be banned in the first place because people simply lost interest in reading and no longer cared for or wanted quality information. As technology production rapidly accelerated, individuals were exposed to and grew to enjoy simple and entertaining media more, and became more comfortable with the short term pleasure it brought. Businesses and companies found this highly profitable and began competing to produce more engaging, shorter, simpler, better forms of entertainment to appeal to society's growing demands for amusement. Despite this, both Fareheint 451's and The Pedestrian's societies can be described as miserable. There is a profound lack of individuality and social and emotional connection with others. The entirety of a person's existence is inherently reduced to meaningless distractions and entertainment with the expectation to not question it. This is best embodied through the character of Mildred from Fareheint 451, who intentionally overdoses on sleeping pills in the beginning of the novel and almost dies. She mindlessly spends the majority of her time watching massive TV screens on the parlor where she interacts with fake characters she calls her 'family'. While in technicality, the interactive characters' main purpose is to provide Mildred with a sense of constant happines, she seems to lack any sincere emotional or intellectual depth and seems to have a sort of feeling of emptiness inside her, but lacks the ability to even put her dissatisfaction into words. Mildred lacks empathy for others simply because she can only truly feel connected to her fake 'family'
