What are the implications of time being used as currency in science fiction?
One implication is a redefinition of social classes. The rich can hoard time and thus have more opportunities and a longer 'life' in the story. For example, in 'In Time', the wealthy live in luxurious zones where they can afford to waste time, while the poor are constantly scrambling for more time just to survive. Another implication is the moral aspect. Using time as currency makes people think about the value of every second of life. Is it ethical to trade someone's remaining lifespan for a luxury item? It also forces characters to make difficult choices about how they spend their time - currency, much like we do with money in real life but with much higher stakes.
The implications are vast. When time is currency, it changes the way people view relationships. In a world where time equals wealth, every interaction has a cost. Family and friendship might be strained because helping someone could mean sacrificing your own time - currency. Also, it affects the concept of work. People might be forced to engage in dangerous or unethical jobs just to earn more time. This is seen in many science - fiction stories where the lower - class characters have to take on risky tasks in order to add minutes or hours to their lifespan. It also challenges the idea of progress. If the rich keep getting more time and the poor are dying off, the overall development of society can be stunted as the pool of available talent and labor is constantly shrinking.
