True Happiness In A Dystopian Society: Can It Be Fully Acquired?

Happiness is something that we all thrive for in our lives, whether by love, family, status or occupation; but all the while, something seems to be missing to that equation. Many people search for as long as they live to figure out what is the one thing that has been missing that will fulfill everything they’ve ever worked for. It can be argued for minutes or even hours on end that we can accomplish happiness on our own terms, so why do so many of us turn to negative influences and habits in order to gain perceived happiness? Perceived happiness, in other words, is something that is controlled or enforced in order to sell the illusion that a person can be happy if he or she also promotes a behavior that generates feelings of “happiness.”

In a Dystopian Society where almost every aspect of life is controlled or regulated, it can be hard for a person to decide if they are truly happy rather than putting on a mask and forcing themselves to be happy. I believe that this type of a society is not too far behind, mainly because there are so many actions and developments that have an emotional impact on those who are searching for satisfaction.

Modern technology plays a huge role in perceived happiness. For example, if we think about the use of accessibility, affordability and popularity with electrical devices, it’s no wonder that there are up to four devices in almost every household in America. Cell phones make up a huge part of this statistic. If not for the charm of public marketing and the ability to gain easy access to this technology, cellphones like the Blackberry or the iPhone would not have become as coveted as they are in this day and age. To build the desire of wanting these devices, the convenience of applications or “apps” is easier to get now more than ever. These programs can now be used for just about anything in substitution for something that may be difficult to gain access to, or just to keep one occupied. This creates plenty of hype that produces the impression that “everyone” is buying the device and that it makes life easier.

But the convenience of technology is not as negative as the consequences of money. It is a clichéd fact that money does not buy happiness, and the truth is that it does not. For as long as humans have been walking the earth the illusion of wealth has always been a lifetime achievement for most in order to gain perceived happiness. Even with the obvious risk catastrophic outcomes like homelessness, addiction, economic turmoil, theft and worst of all, death, the pleasure of gaining exclusive access to material items outshines an individual’s morality. It is an ill-fated necessity that we depend on for our daily survival, but we have no choice if we want to keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. We cannot live without money.

Unfortunately, in the approaching Dystopian society where there will be plenty of room for improvement and expansion, the answer to true happiness will remain as undefined as it has been since the beginning of time.