Of the two 20-century dystopian novels most in vogue when I was growing up, Brave New World was most on the money. Not for a moment underestimating 1984's Big Brother or the surveillance under which we now live, I think our peril lies in our pleasures, in our need for entertainment.
Enter binge-watching. In the last week, as my body has been trudging through January 2019, my mind and heart are lodged in Victorian England as I binge-watch the PBS series "Victoria." It's a relatively innocent pleasure as pleasures go—and don't get me wrong: I love it! But I've noticed it makes me care a little less about present-day reality.
Binge-watching a show is addictive. I'm absorbed in my show just as the denizens of Brave New World were absorbed by their walls. All I need now is a little soma.
(Photo: Courtesy PBS)