1984: Technology's Control and Deception

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Is 1984’s resemblance of technology true to the modern world? The novel 1984, written by George Orwell is about a negative utopia due to controlling technology. In 1984 the commonwealth is strictly monitored by televisions that can see and hear people's actions. Each member of the commonwealth are forced to obey rules such as they can not think against the party, this crime being called thoughtcrime. Due to this crime punishable by death the commonwealth are brainwashed into believing anything the party tells them. Also leading them into a concept called doublethink which is believing two things contradictory at the same time. The party lies about multiple things such as who they are at war with their ecomic state and also about human nature …show more content…

All that their society’s technology does is restrict them from one of the most thought of freedoms being the basic freedom of speech. No doubt one of the biggest impacting freedoms in the modern world. In 1984 “ it was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place” (Orwell 62). For the main character Winston he could not let this own thoughts wander because he was constantly being analyzed by other members and the telescreens. Andrew Alexander people can now immediately transfer information to people and organize meetings or protests (50). Unlike people in 1984, people have the capability to send information to each other or receive it almost instantly on the internet. Also they are able to formulate their own opinions of others and form protests against government unlike in the novel. The commonwealth in 1984 does not have “ the freedom to say that two plus two equals four” (Orwell 84). They are completely unable to know the truthful answer of a basic math problem because of their lack of freedoms due to the complete overwatch of technology. When the modern world’s “ social media has enabled them to rapidly share information”(Alexander 50). We can now share mass amounts of information through social media. We have created a world that is all connected in a cloud of information from nation to …show more content…

Media in 1984 was completely bias for the party. Winston who worked for the media knew “ every word he murmured into speakwrite, every stroke of his ink pencil, was a deliberate lie” (Orwell 183). The people of 1984 are being completely lied to because of technology. Now that the party has technology to trick people's minds it is taking away their freedom to think for themselves. This is also the same for the modern media “ 74% say that news organization tend to be bias” (Mitchell, Gottfried, Barthel, Shearer 2). People in the modern world believe that most of the news organizations are bias just like the people in 1984. The commonwealth in 1984 are forced to believe in the news media provided because “ big brother is watching you” (Orwell 3). They must watch the same news source because they are forced to. Although in the modern world people have the freedom to chose their news source but, “ 76% of americans say they usually turn to the same sources” (Mitchell, Gottfried, Barthel, Shearer 1). The development of technology has lead to multiple news sources to be developed but people still only turn to one source. Yet people know they are still bias and still continue to watch. This scenario turns people in the modern world just like people 1984. They are forced to watch the same media but know they are bias. This causes the modern world to reduce their own freedoms like the people in 1984 whose are

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