We live in a Utopia.

Theory/Praxis: Discuss a theory/concept and apply it to your own everyday media practices.

I remember my friend telling me about this amazing novel named Brave New World, which she had read in summer school. She kept saying that it was so amazing and that I should read it, although I really didn't give a hoot because I knew it was a science fiction novel, and I thought it would probably be really lame. It turned out that I had to read this novel in my English class, and I can honestly say, you should NOT judge a book by its cover (or by the interpretation a science-lover friend gives you). Aldous Huxley (author of the novel) did an amazing job at creating an imaginative utopian society - it was as if he knew what the future would hold (aside from the utopia). There are many theories in this novel that Huxley puts forth for the audience to discover.

The theory that sticks out to me is, "Soma (the drug which they consume) is the answer to happiness." I like this particular theory because I can relate it back to our society, both literally and metaphorically. Literally, people take drugs, whether they are prescribed or illegal, that help them to feel better. One specific drug that illustrates this is Prozac, a prescription drug that is used to help depressed people feel better about their lives, and basically suppress any suicidal thoughts that they may have - exactly what Soma is used for. Clearly John the savage didn't have any Soma or Prozac to make him feel better - it would have been nice to see him live.

Metaphorically, I see Soma as media. I don't mean that in the sense that we are all going to be so hooked on technology that we will practically be machines ourselves. I mean it in the sense that media makes us happy - it's our personal Soma. After a long hard day at work, some people like to relax in front of the television. Or, if they are like me, listen to iTunes on shuffle to relieve some stress.

If media is our personal Soma, all there is left to answer is "Can we live without it?" It's possible, as there are people around us that live in a media celibacy bubble (they would be the savages), but is it possible for us, the Ford followers, to find happiness without it? Are we going to end up like John, or like Lenina?

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998. Print.