1984

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Recommended: Essays regarding telescreen 1984

When George Orwell wrote “Nineteen Eighty-Four” in 1949, he envisioned an omniscient government. Through the use of telescreens placed in all public and private areas, the government had the ability to constantly surveil all citizens of Oceania. Because of the constant surveillance, the government is able to instill fear, and most of the values that we cherish today (such as our privacy, free speech and ability to think independently) are disallowed. Although we might not know it, we live in a society similar to this today. As citizens of the US, we are unknowingly subject to some of the surveillance (and much more) that citizens of Oceania must endure. Our government today collects personal information such as our cell phone call/text logs, emails, and any other forms of private communication we might utilize. Of course, there are differences between the surveillance of citizens of Oceania and citizens of the US today, but in my opinion, our government today is in some ways much more invasive than Big Brother’s regime. In Orwell’s fictitious government he envisioned in “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, the government is ruled by one known as Big Brother. Big Brother, a figure who is never seen, he maintains an omniscient power over the citizens of Oceania. Through telescreens (essentially two-way televisions), the government has the ability to monitor all public and private settings with video and audio capabilities. These telescreens spew propaganda, announcements and news 24/7, while monitoring every person’s words, moves and even facial expressions to prevent thoughtcrime. Therefore, citizens of Oceania are constantly in a state of fear, worrying about the possibility of becoming a nonperson (even a thought against Big Brother can caus... ... middle of paper ... ...ed by helicopters, watching their every movie. In the present-day US, we have 30,000+ drones flying above us in the US, with the ability of surveying us through video/audio recordings also at any point in time. In some ways, we are under much more surveillance than those of Oceania. All in all, there are many similarities between the surveillance in Oceania and in the US today. Although we aren’t drawn into a state of fear and submission because of our surveillance (unlike the citizens of Oceania), it is still wrong. I believe the government infringes on our privacy much more than needed. I wasn’t aware of all this information until I researched it a lot and I believe the collection of all our cell phone data and personal messages is unconstitutional. If more people were made aware of the surveillance we are subject to as American citizens, we could change that.

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