Orwell’s vision of the telescreen, which invades Winston’s home, becomes a reality in our home with the majority of the electronic devices people own. We are always being tracked whether it be through our GPS, through the camera of our computers or iPhones, or even with the media that we use. If I was blatantly told that the devices I use are tracking me, I would be more cautious and concerned about my privacy. I probably would give every move I make on my electronic devices a second thought because I would not be able to tell when I was being listened too. This is a crazy social phenomenon to me where we are all so immersed and reliant on our technology. We have evolved into completely different individuals because of how much out generation relies on our devices. Dependent, independent individuals we have become, where our independence is being challenged by our dependence.
Technology isn’t a one-way street; we receive information from our devices while strangers are receiving information about us. There are so many advantages to technology such as providing us with a platform to communicate with friends, creating a space for us to connect with others for our career (LinkedIn), and allowing us to retrieve instant information through google. There are also advantages of technology in that certain devices offer better learning techniques such as online classes, online programs, Ted talks, etc. However, the news, social media, and products like Google Home or Alexa can be disadvantageous when it comes to using our data to market and using the search engines to cater to our interests. This particular vision, as it relates to today’s society, is a disadvantage in regard to mental and physical health. We are all consumed by our devices to the point where screen time takes up a several hours of the day. With transitioning to online classes and with being at home, my screen time has almost doubled from being 4 hours a day during the beginning of the semester, to about 7 hours a day. The amount of time that I dedicate to my devices, makes it inevitable that the government or technology companies will use my data to extract information about me. The use of our information puts our individualism and privacy in jeopardy and fails to acknowledge that we have our independence and freedom. The idea of giving up my privacy for the security and safety of our country makes me realize that freedom is not free after all. I would not want to give up all of my privacy for the safety of our country because that defeats the purpose of our individuality. Overall, Orwell’s vision challenges us to think about ourselves within today’s society. I do not think it is ethical for us to be constantly monitored to ensure our country’s safety, however, we have all fallen victim to the control and manipulation that comes with our electronic devices.
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