Orwellian Ideas in Todays Society Essay Example

Orwellian Ideas in Our Non Fiction Society With the improvement of technology and all the hype over safety, it is not surprising that the world trying to “better” the quality of life. But where is the line drawn between protecting the world’s people and invading one’s privacy? Some feel that the government is too intrusive in society, others, conversely, feel that it is the government’s responsibility to protect their citizens. After the publication of 1984, the fear of constant government surveillance and of danger only grew. Recently in Britain, the trend of installing CCTV, a camera system used to monitor cities and towns, has begun to spread. In the small town of Stockbridge, where crime rates are low, cameras have been installed on nearly every street corner. “Parish councilors have spent 10,000 Euros installing CCTV,” says BBC News. A Hampshire deputy chief questions “whether the relatively low crime levels justified the expense and intrusion.” He also is afraid that the increased use of CCTV may spur “an Orwellian situation.” There are currently about 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain, which calculates to approximately one for every 14 people. In the novel 1984, there are devices called telescreens that function as both two way cameras and radios. They are unable to be tampered with and cannot be shut off. It is unbeknown to the inhabitants of Orwell’s world whether or not they are, at any given second, being watched. This loss of privacy in the novel is enough to drive one mad and arouse constant fear in the country’s people. In real life, many people fear technology other than telescreens, some such as computers and the internet. A few years ago, a speech was given criticizing AOL and it’s internet services. Numerous users were concerned about the internet becoming dominated by certain, powerful groups such as “media giants,” media watchers tell BBC News. They feel it could “lead to an Orwellian society where consumers are spoon-fed homogenized