Harry Potter makes connections that associate technology and magic in ways that should raise concern to our generation. Millennials are growing up in an age when technology has the ability to take over our lives. Harry is not happy when he is at home for the summer, out of contact from his friends and from magic much in the same way that we become agitated when isolated from the technology we have begun to rely on. Technology in our society can pose great threats as well as advantages in a similar fashion to the way Magic is seen in Harry Potter.
In Harry Potter good magic can simplify life and solve problems, conversely many of these problems originated due to dark magic. It is the responsibility of the individual to decide how he is going to use magic in a similar way, as it is the job of the individual in our society to decide how to use technology. In Harry Potter, Harry has an internal struggle trying to differentiate himself from Voldemort. This internal struggle between good and evil is one that individuals in today’s society contemplate everyday. The amount of decisions and the severity and lasting effects of these decisions are magnified by our technological advances in the same way that Harry’s decisions are more drastic due to magic than a muggle’s decisions may be.
The most interesting parallel I drew between modern society and Harry Potter’s magical life was the comparison between Facebook and Occlumency. In the Movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry is introduced to Occlumency which is a way for Lord Voldemort to look inside Harry’s mind and either use memories against him or implant new ones. It is Professor Snape’s job to teach Harry how to close his mind and block out this connection. This is very similar to Facebook in modern society. Facebook is a fun tool the same way memories are. Harry cherishes his memories in the same way that we cherish our pictures and connections with friends; still both memories in Harry’s mind and our memories online can pose problems. Voldemort is said to have tortured people with their memories until they wished nothing short of death. He effectively used their memories to destroy their lives. In today’s society an ever-pressing concern for many young adults entering the workforce is how we will be portrayed by our virtual identity. One incriminating picture on Facebook is eternal, and if privacy settings are not secure enough we are vulnerable to employers viewing us in a negative light. This concept of privacy is displayed in Harry Potter and is becoming more pertinent in our technologically advanced lives.