Why doesn't the wizarding world use computers?

Question

I know, I know it would destroy the atmosphere. But I’m interested to see if JK Rowling has made a up a valid reason for a complete lack of computers in Hogwarts.

It’s always bugged me ever since I first read Philosopher/Sorcerer’s Stone when Harry was racking his brains for who Nicolas Flamel was.

I don’t care how magical things are. Instant search engine hit for Flamel. All potions, spells, history, quidditch matches, mail, the distribution of the daily prophet, everything. It would be easier to keep students out of the restricted section of an intranet library too! I don’t care how many invisibility cloaks you’re wearing.

Answer 1

While looking up some information about this I stumbled across this... It's not entirely canon but it gives a good theory about why it is that wizards and witches might not use modern items.

From "When Magic Meets Muggle Technology" at Harry Potter Lexicon

Magic in the Harry Potter world is a power that wizards and witches are able to harness and control by some innate ability. Magical effects are often accompanied by lights, sparks, and sounds. The very first magical effect that Harry performed in his new world was shooting sparks out of his new wand at Ollivander's.

It seems to imply that magic effects the electro-magnetic spectrum in some way. Some serious energy is being dealt with. A similar thing happens when a nuclear device is exploded. A massive pulse of EM energy is radiated out all over the spectrum. Radios cease to work. Power lines arc. Telephones burn out. It is because of this chaos that nations spend millions installing infrastructure that is immune to this EM interference.

This might be why so many magical families are always baffled by Muggle technology, simply because such devices could not work well in conjunction with the magic they use in everyday life.

I also found this stating that there was a Computer in the Muggle Studies classroom. The wikia states that the devices do not work because they are powered by electricity.

Computers are one of numerous devices that do not work in magical environments such as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry because they are powered by electricity.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 28 - (The Madness of Mr. Crouch)

Direct quote from the book :

Harry had such a bad case of Twitchy Ears, he had to hold his hands clamped over them as he walked away from the class.

"Well, Rita's definitely not using an Invisibility Cloak!" Hermione panted five minutes later, catching up with Harry and Ron in the entrance hall and pulling Harrys hand away from one of his wiggling ears so that he could hear her. "Moody says he didn't see her anywhere near the judges' table at the second task, or anywhere near the lake!"

"Hermione, is there any point in telling you to drop this?" said Ron.

"No!" said Hermione stubbornly. "I want to know how she heard me talking to Viktor! And how she found out about Hagrids mum!"

"Maybe she had you bugged," said Harry.

"Bugged?" said Ron blankly. "What. . . put fleas on her or something?"

Harry started explaining about hidden microphones and recording equipment. Ron was fascinated, but Hermione interrupted them.

"Aren't you two ever going to read Hogwarts, A History^"

"What's the point?" said Ron. "You know it by heart, we can just ask you."

"All those substitutes for magic Muggles use - electricity, computers, and radar, and all those things - they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there's too much magic in the air."

Answer 2

A common theme in urban fantasy is that arcane magic does not work well with technology. There are three main reasons -

1. Hubris. Those Muggles or non-magic-users simply do not understand what WE know. This can be a culture-mindset, or an issue of mind-inertia. Magic users have a tendency to live longer than Joe Average, so change happens equally slowly due to the power of curmudgeon-ism.
   
2. Need - Magic users have different needs and desires than Joe Average. Certainly the Knight Bus and the Hogwarts Express are not the most efficient forms of transportation, but when you can create a flying ______, Portkeys, can Apparate or use the Floo network, there's no need to pour research into understanding a subway system, or internal combustion engine. Why think about electronic messaging when you can enchant paper to fly directly to them? If your newspaper could update itself like the Daily Prophet, would you care about the evolution of hypertext protocol?
   
3. Power - Modern Technology & arcane power traditionally don't work together because of 'science' - similar to static or other electric shocks, anything containing microchips simply cannot compete with raw power . Hermione mentions that electricity doesn't work in Hogwarts because of the "Magic in the air". JKR doesn't elaborate if the magic in the air is location based (i.e. ley lines) or simply because there's a bunch of wizards there. If it's the latter, it may be similar to Harry Dresden's "I can fry a fax machine at 20 paces" unconscious aura of a magic-user. Note we don't ever actually see modern technology around multiple wizards outside of the little radio near the end of the series, or the TV in the Dursleys' house before the Polyjuice project to help Harry escape (but it was turned off, so we do not know).

Answer 3

The wizarding world is a bit late in introducing new inventions. Most of the story of the Harry Potter novels take place between 1990 and 1998. The wizards simply hadn't had time yet to adapt to computers.

Answer 4

Well, as far the instant search engine hit is concerned, when The Philosopher's Stone was first published in 1997 Google, grounded in 1998, didn't even exist.

Answer 5

Magicians aren't used to Muggles' technology. Think about Arthur Weasley; he dealt a lot more than others magicians with Muggles' items, and still couldn't get many basic things right.

Magicians don't use computers because they feel soo superior that they can't even think about something created by Muggles can be more powerful than them on something.

And I think this is a good explanation because Mage's work is full of racism, even in some younger boy, versus the non and almost mage

Answer 6

The thing you have to realise is that if you're a wizard and you can cast spells and all, why would you waste your time upgrading Windows? What would you prefer, a blue screen of death, or to spend time perfecting your death touch?

It's really just a matter of superior intelligence. As people develop better magical abilities like being able to teleport and travel on broomsticks, etc., there's less of a desire to want to spend time on Computers.

Answer 7

Most wizards simply wouldn’t be interested in using a computer.

With the exception of Arthur Weasley, the majority of wizards wouldn’t find computers or the Internet particularly interesting compared to the magic that fills their lives.

When you can summon any book, instrument or animal with a wave of the wand and the word Accio!; when you can communicate with friends and acquaintances by means of owl, fire, Patronus, Howler, enchanted objects such as coins, or Apparate to visit them in person; when your newspaper has moving pictures and everyday objects sometimes talk to you, then the internet does not seem a particularly exciting place. This is not to say that you will never find a witch or wizard surfing the net; merely that they will generally be doing so out of slightly condescending curiosity, or else doing research in the field of Muggle Studies.
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They’re perfectly capable of it (though certain technology wouldn’t work in areas of high magical activity like Hogwarts) but most of them simply aren’t interested.

There’s also a cultural component to it as well.

Since wizards generally have no need for Muggle technology since most everything it accomplishes can be done more easily with magic, they would consider using Muggle technology as a statement they’re not a competent wizard.

There is another reason for most wizards’ avoidance of Muggle devices, and that is cultural. The magical community prides itself on the fact that it does not need the many (admittedly ingenious) devices that Muggles have created to enable them to do what can be so easily done by magic. To fill one’s house with tumble dryers and telephones would be seen as an admission of magical inadequacy.
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Pure-blood wizards who disdain Muggles would be particularly unwilling to use Muggle technology, as they believe wizards are far superior and would consider it beneath them to use Muggle devices.