Technology In 1984

“Big Brother is watching you” was posted everywhere you turned in the fictional country of Oceania. In the novel, 1984, by George Orwell, the theoretical leader Big Brother observes over his people through telescreens. This control mechanism prevented free-thought and going against the party, “anyone who goes against the party is unorthodox”. The advancement and use of our technology today is leading us toward the dark world of Big Brother.
In the novel, telescreens had the ability to see and hear all that was happening in the room it was placed in. The party made it mandatory for every citizen in Oceania to keep a telescreen where they lived. These devices were used to prevent thought crime as well as, to ensure no one was going behind the party’s back. This idea is creepy and invasive; the people of Oceania had no privacy whatsoever.

According to Maass and Rajagopalan, phones should not be referred to as phones; they are more advanced than that, they are “tracking devices”. Smartphones know exactly where you are at any time. “Right now, with traffic it will take you approximately 7 min to drive to E. Citrus Ave.” is what my phone says every weekday morning, and it remembers what I do every day of the week after school. Smartphones know your interests, your schedule, and your location. The advances of smartphones are leading us towards the technology Big Brother used to rule the country of Oceania.
These past few years, the advancement of drones has been quite popular. At first they were used as a crime solving devices; however they have been spotted soaring over houses, farms, businesses, watching citizen’s everyday lives. The act of drones is going against the fourth amendment, our right to privacy. These drones are easily compared to telescreens because of the constant stalking and flying over residential