Technology Will Liberate Us

Foucault

Panopticism

Choose an example of one aspect of contemporary culture that is, in your opinion, panoptic. Write an explanation of this, in approximately 200-300 words, employing key Foucauldian language, such as 'Docile Bodies' or 'self-regulation, and using not less than 5 quotes from the text 'Panopticism' in Thomas, J. (2000) 'Reading Images', NY, Palgrave McMillan.  

In our modern society that is ever larger, grossly over populated, driven by the incessant need for new technologies, faster processing speeds, and instant messaging to our pockets. It is this change In society that holds to ransom in the way we communicate, we become "objects of information, never the subject of communication". Facebook is a huge culprit of this disfigured form of non-human interaction. With the introduction of technology such as the iPhone and such wonders as 'apps' the accessibility of your virtual self has moved from the decrepit home pc at 50kbit to an astonishing 50gb and in the palm of your hand, making the need for real world integration seemingly irrelevant. Now you, completely virtual, can edit change and manipulate your profile to suit the viewer, creating a "state of constant and permanent visibility". I have 535 friends on Facebook, I keep my relationship status hidden as well as my age, I delete any unsavoury pictures I have been 'tagged' in and any status nobody has 'liked' I am somebody driven completely by an undetermined number of people who view my profile per day, month and year. "A real subjection is born mechanically from a fictional relation". The Facebook user becomes the back light prisoner in a virtual panotpicon, dedicated to behaving in the way they believe there baying audience would deem acceptable. Facebook creates an acceptable "division between the normal and abnormal, which every individual is subjected". Finally your virtual self has become more interesting, better looking and has more friends than 'you', there’s nothing stopping you from switching off , accept that "that the surveillance is permanent in its effects, even if it is discontinuous in its action".      

  

Panopticism