Feed A- Parallel

While reading the book there can be many connections to our lives and where they are heading within the text. The biggest connection that I see is how everyone is living with technology and they hardly go a moment with out being connected to the Internet or on the phone. Though I do believe that the book is a little exaggerated when it describes peoples relationship with technology. For example in the book, they have the "feed' on 24/7 and it is never off. But when the hacker messed up their systems, they were so lost with out the feed. They didnt know what to do with themselves and when they got it back it was like they had regained their other half. I feel that if today since people do not have technology physically and mentally connected with them that if there were to be a black out or they lost their digital devices it would not be the end of the world. This is because we are still connected with the outside world, even though it is very little. 

Growing up with technology has made the younger generations more lazy and perhaps not all together stupid but close to it. In the book though Violet, is the only one who sees how the feed is effecting everyone and she is the only one that cares about the world outside of the feed and their own little bubbles. She express her opinions to Titus and says " Because of the Feed, we're raising a nation of idiots" (feed, 113). Though after expressing her views and opinions everyone thinks she is crazy and weird for having different opinions. In National Wildlife magazine it talks about the new oxford dictionary for children. It has been brought to light that the "new dictionary no longer defines more then 30 nature words, including 'dandelion,' 'otter,' 'acorn' and 'beaver'. In their place are words such as 'mp3 player', 'blog' and 'cut and paste'". Even today children are learning more about the digital world rather then the natural world. The magazine argues that if these words are kept out of the dictionary and the kids never learn these words then it will be harder for them to connect to the planet and will not see any point to care for it.

Getting the feed later on in her life then everyone else helped Violet understand the world. This also made her less perceptible to the feed and the corporations trying to control them, "They're also waiting to make you want things. Everything we've grown up with- the stories on the feed, the games, all that- it's all streamlining our personalities so we're easier to sell to" (feed, 97). Even today this goes on and no one catches it. Everyday we are "attacked" with ads and posters for new consumer products and after seeing it a lot people get it into their minds that it is what they want and they must have it. This also goes for what the stars do. If some famous person goes walking around with an ipod or a specific clothing line, soon everyone will want to be like them because "its cool" and its what the famous people are doing. "They try to figure out who you are, and to make you conform to one of their types for easy marketing" (feed, 97). Even though Violet says this she has a feed herself. She gave into the corporate media and got a feed, her dad even gave her one because he felt that since everyone had one, he did not want her to be left out of the times. Society made it hard for anyone to live with out a feed and her father cracked and bought her on. But it did not change her. Even today it is odd to hear that someone does not have a cell phone or an ipod/mp3 player.