Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer by Wendell Berry - Essay Example

Wendell Berry argues that computers are unnecessary in his life, and he does not express any intentions to purchase one. In his article entitled “Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer”, Berry cites cost to support his choice of a conservative life of rejecting to purchase a computer. Sensing the computer’s inevitable presence in the American life, the author offers cost to underpin his attempts to reject the new technology. The author prefers a simple and conservative life without technology.

Berry says, “In order to be technologically up-to-date as a writer, I would have to sacrifice an association that I am dependent upon and that I treasure.” However, people should not reject the new technology to use the less advanced typewriters and pencils. The current and future work-related opportunities depend on computers. The chart for “Projected STEM Job Growth 2010-2020” indicates a seventy percent increase in the jobs that will require advanced technology. People will need skills in more advanced technologies than the pencils and typewriters to work in the computer industry.

For example, it will be necessary for the prospective workforce to know how to use the advanced technology to execute different tasks. In addition to the job prospects in the computer industry, the contemporary world uses computers in every aspect of life, and people of different age brackets utilize the current technology. The chart for “Daily Computer Use by Age Group” shows us that the use of new technology has increased by twenty-five percent across all age groups. For instance, people use the modern technology such as the instant messaging service and Skype to communicate with their peers in different localities.

Thus, the high use of computers indicates that the typewriters and pencils are less helpful in the current and future world. For these reasons, it is meaningless to persuade people not to purchase computers.ReferenceBerry, W. (1987). Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer. New England Review and  Bread Loaf Quarterly10 (1), 112-13.