How Is Technology Used In The Novel 1984 Technology

Technology has become such a big part of our society now. We blindly buy the newest phone or computer, but do we ever ask ourselves why? We never know to what extent technology can be used; surveillance, gathering information, maybe even a tracker. We don't ask the most essential questions, who's to say we aren't already being “watched”. George Orwell, the writer of the novel 1984 thought this way; in the novel technology is used to keep everyone in line to make them obey “big brother” (the government). The Technology described in the novel is like the technology used today, we should feel uneasy about this.

1984 is a novel describing the twisted future that will come to be if the government is given all the power. In this novel technology is used to spy on and track the people in the country Oceania,its double-plus bad. “ The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously.” (Orwell, page 2). Telescreens is a big screen that monitors your every move, it cannot be turned off it is like a mirror. The Telescreen sounds an awful lot like a television, a big screen broadcasting
videos and images; Tvs now have cameras installed just like Telescreens. “It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen.”(Orwell, page 6). It isn't safe to do anything anywhere, even when there isn't a telescreen present.

We basically Have tiny telescreens in our pockets.
The article That's no phone. That's my tracker., from The New York Times explains how our phones are being used to track and record us. “Every year, private companies spend millions of dollars developing new services that track, store and share the words, movements and even the thoughts of their customers.” (Ohm, 2012). Just like the Telescreens were used to monitor and track every person's movements these phones or should I say trackers are used in the same way. “The surveillance and privacy implications are quite simple. If someone knows exactly where you are, they probably know what you're doing...constantly check and record the location of all phones on their Network.” (Maass, 2012). They don't only track they also record everything you do and the faces, they also use the information recorded from you to advertise and sell
products.

Telescreens aren't the only things used to track the people Oceania. There are also helicopters, yes helicopters like the ones used now. “In the far distance a helicopter skimmed down between the roofs...It was the police patrol, snooping into people's windows.” (Orwell, page 26).They are used to both spy and follow the citizens of Oceania. “ Hovered for an instant like a bluebottle, and darted away again with a curving flight.” ( Orwell, page 26). Not only do the helicopters spy on the citizens of Oceania in public, they also spy in their homes.

Long Beach might as well be Oceania. The people that go to Long Beach or constantly watched and recorded on tons of cameras. Long Beach residents and visitors better start behaving as, Big Brother really is watching...Long Beach Police Department has unveiled... a new system linking 400 camera city world-both publicly and privately.” (Lauren, 2012). The police say that supposedly it is not a case of Big Brother, but the citizens are not aware of the recording or the cameras. “Through six computer stations link to specialized database that provide information on anything from license plate numbers and vehicle registration to the suspect’s past criminal history.” So much Information can be collected by just monitoring the citizens. Imagine how much more information can be collected if and when the government decide to put cameras everywhere including our homes.

Our technology is not far from the one in Oceania, is our government close to the one in Oceania? The Long Beach service there are already cameras and surveillance what is stopping them all putting cameras inside homes without our knowledge. We already have trackers in our pockets, why not have cameras in our home. I have been to Long Beach before many times but I never knew that I was being recorded, it's kind of scary to know if that they have footage of me that I didn't even know of. Who knowswhere else they have been recording you or keeping an eye on you it's scary to know that you don't even know when you are being watched.

1984 discusses how their technology controls everyone. Their privacy is violated by helicopters and telescreen. The ideas of 1984 has slipped into our modern society through technology. Our privacy is being tarnished everyday with our cell phones and cameras. There are many ways to avoid being tracked but there are also sacrifices you must make. As time goes on we see that technology can be described as “big brother.”