The Machine Stops

Though E.M. Forster wrote the “The Machine Stops” in 1909, a century before our current computer-dependent society, the story nevertheless predicts much of the technology that is ubiquitous today. The imagined communication system that replaces face-to-face relationships echoes today’s prevalent use of social media. The story also demonstrates that anxieties about technological advancements are not new.

The first decade of the 20th century was an important moment for technical innovations. Forster wrote the story soon after the invention of air conditioning in 1902, the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903, the advent of radio broadcasting in 1906, and the creation of the washing machine in 1907. These inventions made it easier to automate work, travel long distances, and stay inside the house; the story shows the dark side of these advancements. Automation makes it unnecessary to learn certain skills, thereby risking that humanity will lose those skills. While traveling might broaden horizons, radio and air conditioning make traveling less necessary, as they bring ideas, entertainment, and comfort into one’s own home.

In the story, technology begins as a convenience but becomes a framework that replaces practical innovation. Therefore, it produces a society that cannot sustain itself. People like Vashti are content to have everything they want at the push of a button.