Negatively Advancing Technology Roxana Hosseini College

Advances in technology have changed the way in which individuals live and interact amongst each other. Although many people seem to enjoy the current technology we have now that was not available before, some individuals are able to find flaws regarding newer technology. According to some people, like essayist Jonathan Franzen, technology has had a negative impact on how people in a society act towards one another. Franzen shares many opinions on various different subjects in Farther Away; however, he dives into the topic of technology and its flaws in two separate essays that are both included in the book. In the book, Franzen reveals his reasoning behind how and why technological advances, such as cell phones and social media, have tarnished society’s behaviors and interactions towards others.

The first essay, “Pain Won’t Kill You,” which also starts off the book, discusses fake relationships and the need for likability and acceptance that has all been created and emphasized by social media. Franzen claims that realistically, a person cannot like everything about another individual; however, a person can love bits and pieces of everything that the other person can offer. “There is no such thing as a person whose real self you...