THE
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY FROM THE DISNEY PIXAR’S FILM: WALL-E
A Research
Paper Presented to
The Faculty
of English Resource Center
School of
Information Technology
Asia Pacific
College
Magallanes,
Makati
In Partial
Fulfillment
of the
Requirements for the Course
ERESWRT –
Research Writing
Charlene Mae
A. Altamirano
September
2014
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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
A.
Background of the Study
There are many films about
the dangers of what will technology dependence do to us but among the other
films, the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E is the most unique for it is made to
appeal to both adults and children. The movie shows the futuristic, realistic
and dystopic world view even if the main characters WALL-E and EVE aren’t
talking, the actions of them make the message of the animated film clearer by
Marshall Mcluhan’s theory that says, “Medium
is the message”.
Amarjeet Nayak wrote an article
called, “Wall-E and the Environmental
Apocalypse” In that article he explained why the Disney Pixar’s film:
WALL-E is better than any other movies that tells about the future of the
Earth, “In the apocalyptic movies dished
out by Hollywood, the reasons attributed to such a fate have been varied – from
alien attacks, spread of a lethal virus to nuclear annihilation.” (http://www.jgcinema.com/single.php?sl=apocalypse-consumerism-animation)
Which
is true because unlike any other movies, the animated film is more realistic
for it reflects what’s happening now and what will happen in the future in a
realistic manner which has nothing to do about aliens but focuses about
technology dependence, unawareness and carelessness of humans.
As seen on the Disney Pixar’s film:
WALL-E today is really connected on what happened on the animated film because
before, people actually use their own body like walking and running for them to
go to somewhere but now people can use vehicles that transfer them from one
place to another without wasting too much time and effort so they could spend
their precious time for more significant things like bonding with their family
or friends, meeting their clients and more. As time goes by, they don’t need to
meet a person physically, they can just stay at home, turn on the computer and
webcam then talk to each other visually online specially when the weather isn’t
that good, or it’s not safe to travel.
As seen on the animated film, every person
sitting on a floating chair doesn’t have to use their entire body to move, just
by turning on the screen in front of their faces, they can talk to each other. As
seen on the film, they don’t even have to spend their time cooking because the
foods are already prepare as fast as a person’s blink. As well as for
employers, they don’t have to spend too much money to hire people as employees,
by purchasing robots and machines they can just use it for life with proper
maintenance and are programmed to perform correctly like the teachers in the
Axiom.
Jeffrey Tusker wrote an
article called, “A Jetsons or WALL-E future”. In that article, he explains, “Thus, when it comes to the systems that
guide our progress, we should ask ourselves which is best suited to deliver a
version of growth that is not only real and lasting, but also real and healthy-
one that maintains a proper balance of self-interest, moral priorities, and
consequences.” (http://valuesandcapitalism.com/a-jetsons-or-wall-e-future/)
The problem on the animated
film and the problem that you can see today is despite the advantages of
technology people still fully rely to it which makes a lot of frightening
disadvantages without even noticing the consequences because of its deceiving
power, people’s misunderstandings about all the consequences of technology that
the entire human being today and in the future might face and because of unawareness
as well.
There is a perception on some people
that they are just using the Earth’s resources or what Earth has given them to
make life easier and to accomplish tasks easier. People think that they don’t
have time to work anymore but to spend their time for entertainment and just
relax without thinking about any problems they have, must and will face. But
think about something that people are still having a hard time to perfectly use
computers, clearly robots and machines are not perfect. Therefore, having
background knowledge and understanding deeply the negative effects of
technology from the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E will add to the viewer’s
perception on the illustration of the consequences that what we are facing now
will continue to for us to face in the future if we are not going to make
changes.
The purpose of this paper is
to show the negative effects of technology from the Disney Pixar’s Film: WALL-E
and to state the evidence to the contrary and prove that in spite of the
benefits and advantages of technology, there will always be unnoticed bad
outcomes and disadvantages in return and to move the readers as well.
B.
Statement of the Problem
The
study aims to answer this question:
What are the negative effects of
technology from the Disney Pixar’s Film: WALL-E?
C.
Significance of the Study
Children or
youth. This
research would be beneficial for children and would allow them to appreciate
the animated film’s real message. At an early age, they would be open to what’s
happening and what will happen in the future.
Students. For students, knowledge of
this is essential for they must know the situation of the Earth. It would help
them realize that learning Math, Geography, Science or any other subjects are
useless if they don’t know how to value the life they live on.
Parents. This paper would be useful to
parents because even if the medium used is an animated film that usually people
think that it’s just for children parents and their children would enjoy and
appreciate the message and the film as well.
Environmentalists
or tree huggers. For
the protectors of the quality of the natural environment through changes to
environmentally harmful human activities, knowledge of this is necessary for
the discussion in this paper would give them more ideas about how too much
technology dependence is harmful and how they will fight and prevent the
dangers of it.
Future
Researchers. Knowledge
of this would help future researchers who are making studies about
technological advances. This is so, as knowledge of these negative effects of
technology from the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E
would help them realize that making perfect creations that will make
people’s tasks and responsibilities done easily and perfectly will lead to
dangers and harms for everyone and would help them realize before making
something they must be aware of what will be the consequences.
D.
Scope and Delimitation
This study focuses on the negative
effects of technology from the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E despite many
positive effects and advantages it gives to people and how realistic the main
point of the film is because the negative effects are practical and is slowly
happening today.
Due to time constraints, this study
will no longer discuss the complete or all of the negative effects of
technology. Therefore, this study would just discuss about the negative effects
shown from the animated film as the medium for people already know the rights
and wrongs or the content already but does not know the message which will make
them think, act and move.
E.
Materials and Methods
The information accumulated in this paper are
read and gathered from articles online, from the previous articles used. The
articles are usually essays and news articles but occasionally, most of the
articles are personal opinions, viewpoint and perspective regarding to concerns
about the environment.
By analysing the gathered
information, they can be presented in this writing through the method of
discussing issues concerning the negative effects of technology from the Disney
Pixar’s film: WALL-E that will be useful for every human today and in the
future.
F.
Definition of Terms
1.
Machine. Equipment
with moving parts that performs or do work when they are given power from gasoline,
solar energy or electricity and more.
2.
Robots. Are
electro-mechanical machine that looks like either a human or an animal, in
other words, machines that looks alive and are computer-programmed that helps
people with their tasks.
3.
Technology. Technology
is the application of science which makes complex things to be easier for
human.
4.
WALL-E. WALL-E
means Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class according to Disney’s wiki, the
protagonist of the film who cleaned the Earth and helped the captain and the
people to go back to Earth and start again.
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Chapter 2
DISCUSSION
What
are the negative effects of technology from the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E?
Negative
effects of Technology from the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E
A.
Dehumanization
One of the negative effects of Technology from
the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E is dehumanization. Dehumanization is the
process that makes someone less human by making him forget about creativity,
uniqueness, individuality and humanity and it is because of too much technology
dependence.
Huy Nguyen wrote an article called, “WALL-E: For All Ages, For the Ages”. In
that articled he explains, “However, an
over-reliance on technology could lead to a dystopian society like the one
depicted in WALL-E, where humans essentially turn into robots while robots like
WALL-E and EVE actually have more humanistic qualities than the humans
themselves.” Because it could be seen that humans turned and looked more
like robots that had been programmed to just stay in the Axiom, sit on the
floating chair and get something without working hard and real robots like
WALL-E and EVE showed more humanistic qualities for saving the Earth.
(http://www.cinemablography.org/wall-e.html)
The dehumanization could be seen on
the part when WALL-E followed EVE to the Axiom, and the scene was focused on
WALL-E entering the place where people were sitting on floating chairs, moving
without using their entire body or moving without running or walking.
1.
Communication
They didn’t even talk to each
other personally, it could be seen there that they just have to sit on the
floating chair, turn on and face the monitor to see and talk to someone. They
are simply dehumanized because they forgot the value of having someone to talk
with personally and the fun of walking and running freely as well.
Cara Newlon wrote an article
called, “Study: Millennials find
technology dehumanizing” In that article she explains, “[Technology] basically renders the person the other side very flat,
like a one or two dimensional character rather than a live three dimensional
character. So you lose out on all the nuances, those kind of get flattened out.
It's easy to react to what is an incomplete interpretation of another person.
We tend to filter things out a bit when we're dealing with a live human being.”
(http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/22/study-millennials-tech-dehumanizing/3151693/)
And from the part where a
woman saw and realized that WALL-E and EVE were trying to do something for the
Earth she tried to contact her friends but they misunderstood what she sent so
when the woman who saw WALL-E and EVE turned off the monitors of the people
near here they saw it. So from that part, it could be seen that there are not just
the loss of uniqueness, creativity and humanity that have been gone but also
the personal understandings between a person and another person that has been
destroyed because of Technology.
2. Transportation
From the part where WALL-E
tried to find EVE, the creator focused the scene from where the viewers could
see the ability of humans to go to a place as fast as a blink of an eye because
of technology. Well, it’s good to see that people could now go to a place
easily to save time and effort but at that time, the personal ability of humans
became unnatural, they became superhuman which is not good.
They didn’t prefer to walk or
run or to just ride a car, bus or any vehicles even if it would take them long
they would enjoy it, walking and running will help them to be healthy. Riding a
car or bus is better than just sitting on a chair clicking something from the
screen and you will already be there before a minute, riding a car or bus is
much better because you could actually enjoy the view.
B.
Dystopian World
Definition of Dystopia
Dystopia is an imagined place or state in
which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or
environmentally degraded one. Dystopia is the opposite of Utopia.
It could be seen at the first
part while WALL-E was collecting garbage, compacting them in his tummy and
turning it to a fit square and piling it up. In this part, the creator focused
the scene to what the Earth looked like after being abandoned for 700 years.
Basically, the Earth became a dystopian world which is unpleasant, creepy,
filthy, dangerous and abandoned world while the Axiom became a utopian world
because utopia is the ideal world.
Basically, it is because of
technology why the Earth became a dystopian world and the Axiom became the
ideal world because the reason why Axiom was built was because it was
supposedly a temporary place for humans to live on while robots like WALL-E
clean the Earth to make it a better place for humans to live on again but the
humans became so dependent to Axiom where they didn’t even have to attend work,
they already have an educational system, and the food there are free, basically
Axiom really is the ideal environment and the dream place of everyone where
they didn’t have to worry about problems, about anything, they just have to sit
and relax.
Katalina Watt wrote an
article called, “Studies in Dystopia:
WALL-E”. In that article he explains, “When
EVE returns the plant to the Captain, he learns the Axiom is supposed to leap
straight back to Earth to let humanity settle back there, because life can be
cultivated again." it's the proof for the humans in Axiom to stay there
temporarily but the past officials made a decision to just stay there because
they were blinded by the benefits of technology without even peeking at the
consequences it could lead.”
(http://seenthefuture.blogspot.com/2012/08/studies-in-dystopia-wall-e.html)
Therefore, Axiom became a
Utopian world because everything was free, ideal environment for lazy people or
for people who was blinded or for people who took the advantage of technology,
a Utopian world where everybody wanted to move for its nearly perfect qualities
but then the consequence of this is the destruction of the Earth or the
transformation of the Earth to be a Dystopian world. They didn't even have to
walk or cook something to eat, not to worry about their job, they became lazy
and unable to walk properly because basically they became the slaves of too
much reliance to technology.
C.
Consumerism and Health
The Wall-E movie showed a
consumerism type of culture, and by consumerism which means and ever-increasing
consumption of goods, materials, and services. Consumerism is the belief that
it is good for people to spend a lot of money on goods and services.
Consumerism is also the actions of people who spend a lot of money on goods and
services.
Amarjeet Nayak wrote an
article called, “The Perils of
Thoughtless Consumerism”. In that article he explains, “Apart from such consumerist behaviour of
human species and its never-ending greed, its gradually changing relationship
with machines is another factor that can be seen to be ultimately leading to
the environmental apocalypse depicted in Wall-E. The machines are initially
there to help humans with their work. However with time, the dependence on
machines grows to such an extent that machines become indispensable. This can
be seen as a moment where the power dynamics changes. Instead of humanity
controlling the machine, humanity starts being controlled by it.”
1. Food(Obesity Problem)
Tamara Mannelly wrote an article called, “Mobility Scooters, Obesity and Wall E…what
is happening to our health?” In this article he xplains, “WALL-E indeed seems to be making a
statement about fitness and the obesity crisis. “It shows a future in which
mankind literally spends all day on a giant starship moving around in floating
chairs, drinking liquified food from Big-Gulp-esque cups, and forever surfing
(and chatting) on chair-mounted video screens,” says the source.”
(http://calorielab.com/news/2007/10/31/pixar-wavering-over-wall-es-portrayal-of-our-superobese-descendants/#sthash.trug8wzU.dpuf)
From the part where WALL-E
finally entered the Axiom, it could be seen how humans took the advantage of
getting food more and easily, it could be seen how technology could create food
and goods easily without humans having to work hard for them to get food and
goods.
Tim Shipman wrote an article called,
"WALL-E's 'fattist' satire angers
fat pride groups”. In that article he explains, “WALL-E has garnered rave reviews for its satire on consumer culture,
in which future humans are depicted as a group of obese gluttons who never
leave their padded floating arm chairs.” Well, as the author says, the
effect of technology which is consumerism was shown, without the practice of
consumerism people wouldn't be like that, the Earth wouldn't be like that and
there wouldn't be a problem without the practice of consumerism.
2. Services
From the part where WALL-E finally entered the
Axiom, the humans taking advantage of being lazy by relying to the services
robots and machines were giving them could be seen. They didn’t have to pay for
the teacher that could teach their kids because the teacher is a robot and
programmed to teach the kids about how BNL is the greatest company and friend.
They didn’t have to worry about job, because having a job was pointless because
you could get everything for free, everything with ease.
Daniel Engber wrote an
article called, “Fat-E” In that
article he explains, “But the metaphor
only works if you believe familiar myths about the overweight: They're
weak-willed, indolent, and stupid. Sure enough, that's how Pixar depicts the future
of humanity. The people in Wall-E drink "cupcakes-in-a-cup," they
never exercise, and if they happen to fall off their hovering chairs, they
thrash around like babies until a robot helps them up.”
(http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/green_room/2008/07/fate.html)
D.
Extreme Capitalism
From the film, capitalism is
connected to consumerism because private owners encourage people or the
consumers that their goods or products are the best and most of their goal is
to be the number one and existing largest company in the world. Capitalism is an
economic system where trades and industries are controlled by private owners
but extreme capitalism is different from capitalism only, extreme capitalism is
an economic system where trades and industries are controlled by private owners
only without the concern of the government.
J.A Carizo wrote an article
called, "Wall-E and the Dangers of
Capitalism". In that article he explains, "Capitalism and
consumerism has a price. And this becomes worst when coupled with greed. And if
uncurtailed, the price may include the earth."
(http://biklish.com/2008/07/07/20080707-01/)
All the property is owned by a
single company which makes the Buy N Large the kind of capitalist
entrepreneurship because it controlled people by giving them their
satisfactions and desires without experiencing any hard times.
As seen from the animated
film, Buy N Large which is the biggest private company ruined the world by
making the people experience and encouraging to consumerism which is consuming
big amount of food, materials and abusing the technology, since they are the
largest company there they have enough money to build the Axiom and encourage
people to move to Axiom which later on the Earth has been forgotten about the
people who stayed in Axiom including the recent captain. As the owner of the
Axiom which makes people’s lives easier which is the job of technology, BNL was
considered as an extreme capitalist.
Mande Wikes wrote an article
called, “WALL-E: SLAYING CORPORATIONS OR
SAVING CAPITALISM?" In that article he explains, “Directed to 'consume, consume, consume' by B & L, humans are
corpulent slobs confined to floating robotic chairs, mindlessly relying on
automation and these 'flying La-Z-boys' to meet their every desire."
(http://www.fitsnews.com/2008/07/14/wall-e-slaying-corporations-or-saving-capitalism-2/)
Therefore, because of Buy N
Large corporation's capitalist entrepreneurship by being the number 1 company
in the world, it became so powerful that it created a life in space that the
government couldn't do anything because of Buy N Large corporation's wealth.
The corporation did ruin the lives of people including the government as well.
II.
Conclusion
It is amazing how an animated
science fiction film helps the viewers to understand what’s happening today and
what will happen in the future if people continue relying to technology and how
using an animated science fiction film as the medium useful. Yes, everyone
knows the obvious content of the film that it’s going to be about saving the
Earth, but watching animated science fiction films will help to get the real
message of it. As what a classic media theorist Marshall Mcluhan said, “The Medium is the Message.” He also said
that everyone knows the content, what’s right and wrong but the message will
touch anyone.
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Chapter 3
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY
This paper attempted to
determine the negative effects of technology from the Disney Pixar’s film:
WALL-E.
The research design used in this
study is the descriptive research wherein the articles found in the internet
were used to discuss the issues concerning the negative effects of technology
from the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E. The research findings are the following:
1.
There are many films about the destruction of the Earth because of technology
dependence and one of them is the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E.
2.
The animated science fiction WALL-E shows how technology fulfils people’s need
and satisfies them without working hard.
3.
As seen on the animated science fiction film, people are easily blinded by the
deceiving power of technology.
4.
In spite of the advantages of technology, there will always be unnoticed bad
outcomes in return.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the finding of this study, the following
conclusions are drawn:
1.
It is amazing how an animated science fiction film helps the viewers to
understand what’s happening today and what will happen in the future if people
will continue relying to technology and how using a science fiction film as the
medium useful.
2.
As seen on the Disney Pixar’s film: WALL-E, the negative effects of technology
are the dehumanization, dystopian world, extreme consumerism which affects the
health and extreme capitalism.
RECOMMENDATIONS
After drawing the conclusions
of the study, the researcher hereby makes the following
suggestions/recommendations:
1. Children and students should continue
watching films like WALL-E for they give them ideas and they make them aware
about what’s happening and what will happen on the Earth if everyone, including
them, will continue to rely and take advantage of the power of technology.
2.
Parents should not only encourage their kids to watch films like WALL-E but
they should also watch films like WALL-E albeit films like WALL-E seems like
for kids but no, films like WALL-E are only used as medium to show the real
message in a unique and great manner.
3.
Environmentalists should use films like WALL-E as their medium to show everyone
how standing up for the Earth against technology dependence is important.
4.
Future researchers should research more about the negative effects of
technology through films like WALL-E for it would help them to figure ways on
how to stop and prevent the Earth’s destruction like what happened on the film
because of technology reliance.
References:
A. Electronic
Media
Amarjeet
N. (2010, April 13). Wall-E and the
Environmental Apocalypse. Retrieved August 02, 2014 from http://www.jgcinema.com/single.php?sl=apocalypse-consumerism-animation
Jeffrey
T. (2011). A Jetsons or WALL-E future. Retrieved
August 02, 2014 from http://valuesandcapitalism.com/a-jetsons-or-wall-e-future/
Cara
N. (2013, October 22). Study: Millennials
find technology dehumanizing. Retrieved from August 09, 2014 from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/22/study-millennials-tech-dehumanizing/3151693/
Katalina
W. (2012, August 12). Studies in
Dystopia: WALL-E. Retrieved August 09, 2014 from http://seenthefuture.blogspot.com/2012/08/studies-in-dystopia-wall-e.html
Tim
S. (2008, July 12) WALL-E's 'fattist'
satire angers fat pride groups. Retrieved August 10, 2014 from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/2391531/WALL-Es-fattist-satire-angers-fat-pride-groups.html
Daniel
E. (2010, July 10). Fat-E. Retrieved
August 09, 2014 from
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/green_room/2008/07/fate.html
