The Importance Of Reading "Brave New World" and "1984"

“An Informed Citizenry is at the Heart of a Dynamic Democracy”- Thomas Jefferson -
            In the books 1984by George Orwell and Brave New Worldby Aldous Huxley, describe two very different forms of oppression in future societies.  1984 depicts a world that is controlled by hate and fear, which is compounded by continuous monitoring, lack of public knowledge, and separation of individual connections.  While, in Brave New World the population is controlled by a drug induced form of superficial happiness, conditioning of individual classes, and abundance entertainments.  As these books convey a futurist society, it will remain the employment of the masses to ensure that these works of fiction do not become the reality of tomorrows generations of Americans. These books have been a form of entertainment for generations but, they are so much more, for they are a warning, that is summarized best by President Regan in his famous speech, California and the Problem of Government Growth:  Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history, who have known freedom and then lost it, have never known it again. (Reagan 86)            In Brave New Worldthe use of soma, which is a drug that everyone uses to feel happy during life circumstances that bring trivial moods of unhappiness, a similar phenomenon can be seen in today’s American society.  As a report in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry states: Some 69 percent of people taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the primary type of antidepressants, have never suffered from major depressive disorder (MDD). Perhaps worse, 38 percent have never in their lifetime met the criteria for MDD, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, or generalized anxiety disorder, yet still take the pills that accompany them. (Weller)With medical science continuing to advance in the recovery and treatment of mental disorders, Americans should keep a watchful eye on the potential miss use of psychiatric drugs.  Ackerman, Spencer. Optic Nerve: millions of Yahoo webcam images intercepted by GCHQ. The Guardian News , 28 February 2014. Online Article. <https://www.theguardian.com/world/201..., Kristine. Here's Why Millennials Aren't Choosing to Get Married. Business Insider, 30 November 2016. Online Article. <http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-..., Karen. The paradox of millennial sex: More casual hookups, fewer partners. Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2015. Online Article . <http://www.latimes.com/science/scienc..., Catherine. Bad news for older folks: Millennials are having fewer babies. The Washington Post, 4 May 2015. Online Article. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio..., Michael. In the Words of Ronald Reagan: The Wit, Wisdom, and Eternal Optimism of America's 40th President. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008. Print.Weller, Chris. Antidepressants Aren't Taken By The Depressed; Majority Of Users Have No Disorder. Medical Daily, 2 April 2015. Online Article. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/antidepre..., Kim. HOW TO KEEP THE NSA FROM SPYING THROUGH YOUR WEBCAM. Wired. 13 March 2014. Online Article. <https://www.wired.com/2014/03/webcams....