Topic > The Question of Personal Privacy in Orwell's 1984 and Today

1984 reveals a world in which personal privacy is illusory. The author has created a dark manifestation of a dystopian future in which the danger of internal control is prophetic. Under this imaginary totalitarian government, citizens were constantly scrutinized, deceived and pressured by the idea of ​​“Big Brother”. While these characteristics can easily be used to emphasize the stark differences between George Orwell's Oceania and the present-day United States of America, if you delve further into 198-4 and its illustration of Oceania, you will find that there are many similarities to consider . found. One, in particular, is the use of technology, and as Orwell predicted, people today have given up their right to privacy like the citizens of Oceania, allowing the government to continue to monitor and control them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Throughout George Orwell's novel, technology is an essential weapon used to survey his population. Currently, the Oceania government called “the Party” has blatantly been surveilling its citizens using a device known as a telescreen, which can detect facial expression and movement. “With the development of television and the technical progress that made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same device, private life ended.” Through relentless surveillance, no one is free. Everything from actions to thoughts is monitored to determine anti-party behavior. As a result, people's lives and individualities are destroyed. Indeed, the protagonist Winston has transformed from a rebellious member into another brainwashed devotee. Technology limited people's knowledge and freedom. Throughout the novel, telescreens serve as a symbol of the government's omnipresent control. Indeed, throughout Oceania microphones were also used to identify who and what a person was saying. “There was always the danger of hidden microphones through which your voice could be picked up and recognized.” Yet, Winston and his lover Julia still tried to continue their tryst; however, nothing is private in the repressive world of 1984. This wired society has no laws to protect it and lives with the constant reminder that "Big Brother is watching you." The Party's infinite power can only be supported by technology. This novel not only describes a future in which the government abuses technological progress, but also warns of what could happen if it becomes too dominant. In today's world, privacy is almost impossible to possess due to constant improvements in technology. Nowadays, people share almost everything online, making government and corporate intrusions almost acceptable. Intelligence agencies continue to collect, document and control our lives through a vast surveillance network. Like the “telescreens” and “microphones” in Orwell's novel, the televisions, cameras and satellites of our modern society can watch and observe. Citizens live with a false sense of privacy. Indeed, the Internet contains and stores all the information accessed from any device and nothing is permanently deleted. To illustrate, government agencies can record conversations, take photos, and track people without our knowledge. “It was also conceivable that they were watching everyone all the time.” Everything from your current position to what you posted five years ago can be achieved through technology. Accordingly, technology not only”.