1984 George Orwell Privacy Essay

799 Words4 Pages

In George Orwell's 1984 novel, the author paints a world ruled by a totalitarian regime, where surveillance levels have reached an extreme. However, in today's society it is evident that the level of intrusion has reached and even surpassed the level of intrusion fabled in Orwell's novel. The invention of advanced surveillance technology has corroded privacy rights and has brought light to analysis on these infringements of personal privacy. The totalitarianism demonstrated in 1984 has forced the need for protection of one’s privacy in the digital age. One aspect that has outclassed the degree of intrusion in 1984, is the normality of surveillance. In 1984 Winston Smith was constantly being watched. Orwell wrote “the all seeing telescope can …show more content…

Big tech giants and governments benefit from this system by gaining access to tons of personal data, which can be used for targeted advertising and social control. In a world where surveillance is normalized, children born into the digital age may never understand or experience the concept of privacy. From an early age, they are exposed to a digital landscape, where their personal data is willingly shared. Growing up in this environment, children will develop a different perspective on privacy. As Giroux refers to “Snowden emphasizes this point by reminding his viewers that ‘a child born …show more content…

In 1984 the party used a variety of tactics such as the thought police and constant propaganda to control and manipulate the minds of its citizens. Today, surveillance technology coupled with targeted advertising has the ability to shape our minds, controlling our preferences and political opinions. “Surveillance as the order of the day becomes surveillance propped up as the new face of intimacy, exploiting free expression, if not actually eradicating thinking itself.”(110) Giroux states. By constantly exposing individuals to curated content that aligns with their existing beliefs, there is a risk of creating a bubble inhibiting personal reflection. Constant surveillance can kill free expression, when individuals are aware of being constantly monitored they may censor political or controversial things since they know it will be used against them, having a huge impact on the diversity of