The Machine Stops

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Think about the new technologies invented since the start of the 21st century. What tech has become integral to our daily lives? Have these technologies changed our lives for better or worse? What are some common fears and anxieties about the way technology will continue to advance in the future?

Teaching Suggestion: This question connects to the story’s theme of Human Advancement and raises the issue of how technophobia (or at least techno-skepticism) has been in constant dichotomy with the wonder at technological advancements throughout human history and continues today. You might ask students about the tasks their smartphones do for them and the skills or habits they might need if they didn’t have access to current technology. What do we gain and what do we sacrifice? Consider asking students to think about how their parents or other authority figures have attempted to limit their use of technology and why. Often younger generations are dismissive of older generations for their anxieties about newer technology, and this line of questioning will prepare them to see both current anxieties and the anxieties expressed in “The Machine Stops” as a part of a larger continuum.