Brave New World - Pre Reading

In my utopian society, there would be no social media so that so that people would have to interact more personally with each other and bypass drama. There would be less technology. For example, there would be radios instead of TVs. However, people would still have cell phones, from which they could either call, text, or video call someone. Still, these communications would be rationed. Food, clothes, and other goods would be rationed. Income would be lower, because it would not be necessary to spend it on these things, as the ration cards would serve as “gift certificates”.

When people turn sixteen years old, they take a personality test. This test determines jobs and “Living Sections” that would benefit that person according to their personality. However, the person can still pick what they want to do. The test does not restrict them, it only gives suggestions.

People go to school until they are sixteen years old. Any further schooling depends on the job they pick, and it is possible to fail the course that people take to get a certain job. Jobs available for someone are influenced by their Living Section (For example, farmers can only be in the Rural Section, and Business owners must live in the Urban or Suburban Sections). Someone must have certain grades in school before their test to qualify for certain jobs.

The three Living Sections are Urban, Suburban, and Rural. After someone chooses a Section, they spend a year learning the ways of its people, even if they grew up in that section. Each new member is assigned a mentor for that year.

The test also determines whether you can become a parent, and whether you are allowed to own weapons. You are required to retake the test after life-changing experiences, such as the death of someone you knew or a car crash.

The test itself is rather simple. There is a written portion under a lie detector. People also wear a certain tracking bracelet for a month which is locked onto them. This is to see what they do in their day to day activities. People have to drink something which prohibits them from changing their activities during the month, but it wears off afterwards.

Children in all Living Sections are encouraged to play games that require imagination and to read. In the Rural Section, children play outside and are allowed more freedom. In the Suburban Section, children play in fenced yards, and in the Urban Section, they play inside most of the time.

Transportation is mostly by walking or riding a bike, though trains and buses are still very common. Cars and planes are not used much, though more common in Rural Sections, which are large and spread out and do not have buses. When someone wants to cross a Living Section, they are required to go through a checkpoint. This is only so that the government knows where people currently are in case of an emergency. In an emergency, they have lists of where people are so that they can count and make sure that everyone is accounted for.

Income is not restricted, nor is there a minimum wage. However, community service is required, and everyone is provided with a job and house. The cost of the upkeep of the house is varying from person to person by income.

This society is not perfect because a true Utopian society is impossible, but there are many advantages to it.