Mad Men and Our “It’s Complicated” Relationship with Technology

One might be tempted to think that a show as groundbreaking as Mad Men would endorse all things groundbreaking. Yet the overall perspective on change, progress, and technology is nuanced at best, pessimistic at worst. This perspective becomes especially lucid in the recently completed first half of the final season.

New things aren’t new forever. Awestruck wonder quickly evaporates as novel things become familiar. The desire for novelty is insatiable, as is the slippery idea of progress.  Jim Cutler wants to make Sterling Cooper a cutting-edge firm. He installs a massive computer in the building and tries to revolutionize the way Sterling Cooper does business. But not everyone feels the same way. Indeed, the computer causes Michael Ginsburg, the quirky but talented copywriter, to go absolutely insane. Others were suspicious as well. The unknown is scary; some enjoy that thrill, while others fear it. Technology never produces all of its expected effects. When computers became prevalent, for instance, many rejoiced that they would no longer have to work as much. Instead, computers have caused us to work even more. Unforeseen consequences are unavoidable with technology

In many ways, the moon landing—which occurs in the midseason finale—symbolized the triumph of technology. The moon represented a new frontier, a vast unknown. Technology got us there. And the event brought everyone together. But technology doesn’t always bring people together. Indeed, we are reminded of this in the same episode, as the crew’s Burger Chef pitch revolves around nostalgia for the days when families ate together without the distraction of television. Technology, whether for good or ill, is intrusive. We can’t imagine a world without basic technologies. It shapes our lives considerably. Oftentimes, it’s easy to focus on what is gained from technology instead of what is lost. That family dinner, that experience of wonder at the distant and unreachable moon, these are a few of the things that people lost in the Mad Men era. What more have we lost today?