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1984 Surveillance Paper

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Submitted By alicarc
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Surveillance in Society
"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment... It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized." –George Orwell, 1984

Social control is a prevalent method in multiple societies in order to influence the way people behave and think. In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, he describes a fictional, dystopian, society, Oceania; a society built upon a totalitarian government with constant control of its citizens. Much like Oceania, present day American society is falling to the powers of this authority. A form of social control in both Oceania and present day America is surveillance. In 1984, Oceania and its people are under constant watch. With the use of their societal surveillance, telescreens and microphones, the Party and Thought Police (much like the WWII Gestapo), were able to watch and closely observe every move made by the citizens. Telescreens were used as machines that relay information and broadcast almost like a radio, while simultaneously allowing Thought Police and Party to tap into the wire at any given time to watch over and listen in on the citizens. Though one may think to just shut off such a ridiculous gadget, the citizens had no capability to turn it off completely, but rather only the power to dim the screen and lower the sound. Telescreens are not just in homes, but also in public places such as work, restaurants, and restrooms. It is the most successful way to keep majority control over the people of Oceania. Where telescreens cannot be placed, the Party supplements microphones. Telescreens were used mostly in places of

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