Dystopias: What Will We Become?
A teenager walking in the streets of a rough neighborhood stops at a wall with a spray paint can in his hand. All of a sudden, a voice is heard saying, “step away from the wall and put down the can.” The voice is from a surveillance camera nearby. The government has been able to advance technology and surveillance so it can now speak to you. Many people in today’s society have been aware of the government’s control and power that has become more controlling and powerful, as time has gone by. Today, the power and control the government has, will lead to the society turning into a dystopian society with limited freedom and an overpowering government because of their abuse of technology and their abundant power.
In today’s society, technology has advanced immensely. Around the time of the new millennium, technology has soared into advancement with technological entertainment such as iPhones, iPods, Facebook, Google, 3D TV, and even video games without controllers. What does this mean for our society today or possibly for our future society? The fast advancement in technology could mean the coming forth of a dystopian government. An advancement in technology that has taken place in today’s society is surveillance cameras that can speak to an individual. In an article called “When Surveillance Cameras Talk,” it talks about a place in Europe where the surveillance cameras can actually speak to you and tell you not to do something you are doing wrong. Some people think this is like George Orwell’s novel 1984, which is about a dystopian-based society. They say that this type of surveillance, called Close-circuit television (CCTV), could be very useful and stop crimes, but others say that this is pointless and does not necessarily stop the crime directly or immediately. (Grose) This new type of surveillance is a sign of today’s society becoming a dystopia because it is an example of the government’s development of power. With the development of power, the government could control anything and everything they wanted to. Just by beginning to use this advanced surveillance, the government has already enforced their power over the society in Europe and has shown the advancement they are capable of. Another sign of today’s society’s capability of turning into a dystopia is found in our society’s use of the international web. Our society has begun to rely solely on the Internet and all of the information it contains. Teenagers can write a research paper, contact friends, tell the whole world what they are doing and download any kind of music with just the click of a button. They can do all of this without leaving the house or even leaving their chair. If the Internet crashed or all information was somehow erased from it, many people would not know what to do or where to go for information. Today’s world is becoming too reliable on the Internet, which could become a huge problem for our future society. Our use of the Internet could also be a problem because of the information in which we display. Million’s of people across the world have put their information on the web by selling items, using a social networking site or just by simply e-mailing a friend. This information could possibly be later accessed by the government for any use due to the advancement in technology. In an article called “Google is Watching You,” the author talks about how Google has changed the way the web works and how people can access an individual’s information at any given time. It also talks about how Google will hold your information and someone can access it if they want to know what you put on a social networking site years ago. The article also tells about Google’s new database. The company's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, said, "The goal is to enable Google users to be able to ask the question such as 'What shall I do tomorrow?' and 'What job shall I take?’” (Verkaik) The article is initially saying that the company wants to make Google able to decide for people and make decisions so the people don’t have to themselves. This advancement in technology is a frightening thought to some people because the government could use this type of website to control individuals and make them do anything the government programs the website to tell them to do.
Other people might look at the Internet as a way for people to express themselves. The Internet is used for self-expression through music, video or blogs. The government has control over the Internet and is slowly gaining more control that could possibly mean the extermination of these self-expression methods. In a video called “Protect IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet,” an organization called Fight for the Future talks about a bill called Protect IP “that has been introduced in the Senate and the House and is moving quickly through Congress. It gives the government and corporations the ability to censor the net, in the name of protecting "creativity".” (Fight for the Future) The government has already removed many videos off of Youtube and banned some websites from the Internet. One video the government removed was a video of a baby dancing to a Lady Gaga song. The government removed the video because of the background music. If this bill is passed then the government could have the power to delete someone’s blog or video that expresses creativity. “They just have to convince a judge that the site is ‘dedicated to copyright infringement.’” (Fight for the Future)
Scott Westerfeld describes another way the government can abuse technology in his book Uglies. In this book, there are bridges that can “tattle” on people who cross it but aren’t supposed to cross it. (Westerfeld, 5) The bridges tell the police force and they arrive immediately to arrest the trespassers. Today, there are only fences and borders with watchmen positioned to stop anyone from trespassing on foreign territory. Soon, technology will become so heightened that those men and borders will no longer be needed and more serious discipline will take action. The book also describes a kind of technology that speaks to you when you cross city limits and go places where you aren’t supposed to go. The technology described in the book could be a similar type of technology that will someday replace the borders and watchmen we have today. The technology also talks to you when you talk to it. In the book, the protagonist, Tally, tells her room “goodnight,” and the room replies in a clever, intelligent response “sleep tight.” (Westerfeld, 53) This type of technology in the book is similar to the technology our society already has with the talking surveillance cameras in Europe. All forms of technology described in Uglies can cause harm to our future by lessening individual’s social skills and capability of relating to others, make individual’s incapable of thinking for themselves and develop their thought process to become thoughtless and have no individual creativity or thought.
Almost all previous described dystopias have been under constant surveillance and/or use technology for the main source of a person’s entertainment. In the book Fahrenheit 451, all the books have been taken away and banned from society. All citizens absorb themselves in the technology provided which are their radios and televisions. (Bradbury) They all become numb and thoughtless, as well as controlled and brainwashed by the government because of the banning of books and all written sources. Without interaction with other humans and learning through trial and error, the human society will crumble and become one large dystopia.
The thought of a dystopian society is already placed into many people’s minds based off of books and movies. Advanced technology plays very important roles in books on dystopian governments. In the novel 1984, George Orwell writes about what he thinks the society would become if it became a dystopia. In the book, there are TVs in everyone’s house and in every public place in town. This TV informs the public about things that are going on such as news and events. The TV can also watch you and talk to you to tell you if you are doing something wrong. (Orwell) The government has abused this technology in order to control the people in their society. George Orwell predicted a kind of surveillance that could speak back to you and as we know from the article “When Surveillance Cameras Talk,” his prediction has come true. If someone can think of something, someone can invent it. Orwell thought of the idea, and someone else, years later, turned that idea into reality. Talking surveillance is only the beginning of what the future of technology can become.
The accelerating rate of technology in modern day society is a monumental sign of our country and even world developing into a dystopia. The signs are evident when thinking about our everyday lives and the recourses we use. If we take a step back and realize how often we rely on these technological recourses, we might realize how dangerous our future can become.
Dystopian societies are based off of a society’s government control and abuse of power. In an article called “Dystopias: Definition and Characteristics,” the author explains what a dystopian society is and what creates one. The article lists characteristics of a dystopia and the types of controls the government has in a dystopia. Some of the key characteristics it mentions are “Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society, Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance, Corporate control: One or more large corporations control society through products, advertising, and/or the media, and Technological control: Society is controlled by technology—through computers, robots, and/or scientific means.” (Dystopias: Definition and Characteristics) Today’s society is full of all these things. Propaganda is one of the more obvious signs. It is everywhere: billboards, TV, Internet, magazines and stores. One of the more subtle things propagandized is beauty. Young women all over the world read magazines and see billboards advertising make up that will make you look like the pictures of the beautiful women who are wearing that make up, but in reality the pictures are digitalized and transformed to make them look more attractive and beautiful. That side of the picture isn’t advertised, so women are fooled into believing that that certain product works. In a video called “DOVE Evolution,” the dove beauty campaign showed how the material world edits and changes a picture to make it look perfect. (DOVE Evolution) Large corporations want to sell their products and will do anything to do so. Eventually, this type of propaganda could get out of hand. If the government becomes any more intelligent, they could control the population with propaganda. In the book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, he describes how government could abuse their power and be able to control everyone in a society by convincing them that something is true. This book talks about a dystopian government that has convinced everyone that they are "ugly" and when they turn 16 they get an operation to turn them "pretty." When the people turn pretty they get something put into their brain that changes the way they think but the people turning “pretty” don’t know what is being put into their brains. The thing being put into their brain makes them believe that getting turned “pretty” is the only way to live and that there is nothing wrong with everyone looking and acting the same. In this book, the government convinces or "brain washes" their citizens. The government in the book has convinced everyone they are ugly because there are so many "pretty" people. (Westerfeld) What is happening in today’s society with fashion and beauty propaganda is only the beginning of what could become a “pretty” society. This propaganda ties in almost exactly with the definition of a dystopia. “Corporate control: One or more large corporations control society through products, advertising, and/or the media.” (Dystopias: Definition and Characteristics) If corporations continue to advertise in this manipulating way, our society will turn into a completely controlled society, controlled by corporations, which are ultimately controlled by the government. If citizens aren’t more careful in what they listen to and follow, they could be helping the government control our society.
Dystopias are controlled not only through the manipulation by the government but also through those who enforce the control: Police. Police power today is stronger than it was years ago and will be even stronger in the future. Police officers in today’s society have many privileges and power that can over-rule any citizen. An example of the government having control over the citizens of its society is found in George Orwell’s novel 1984. It is also an example of the government’s police force becoming too controlling and powerful. In this book, the government takes control by controlling everyone’s thoughts. This government has what is called the thought police, which make it impossible for the people to have their own thoughts about something. If one of the thought police is suspicious about someone thinking something that is unusual or against the government then they have the right to take them away to what is their jail. (Orwell) In 1984 the police officers have even more liberty to do what they want to citizens. If the government let’s the police forces of today get out of control, the future will begin to plummet into a dystopian world.
Today’s society is already filled with occurrences of dystopian practices. One thing that is controlled by the government and is an example of government control that relates to dystopian views is welfare. The government already controls every citizen’s income in America. The welfare system is supposed to be a charity-like system to give money to the less fortunate who need the money. In the Webster’s Dictionary, it says that welfare is “aid in the form of money or necessities for those in need.” There are many people who are on the welfare system who use the money they receive for entertainment use and not necessities. The citizen’s who are wealthier do not, however, have a choice to give their earned money to these people. The government and police enforce laws, which demand that the wealthy give their earned money to the poor. If these persons do not adhere to such laws then they can be placed in prison. The government is forcing citizens to work and then give a portion of their paycheck to those in need even if those “in need” have not even tried to help themselves with employment. By forcing citizens to give their own money to unknown people, the government is already practicing the qualities of a dystopia.
Another occurring sign of a dystopia today is the orderly manner of teaching in public schools. Public elementary and some high school teachers are all trained to teach their students in the same orderly manner. Teacher’s go through training seminars and workshops where they learn methods that are supposed to help teach the children more efficiently. In an article called “Addressing Sunshine State Standards in Elementary School Teacher Professional Development Workshops,” the authors talk about workshops in Florida that are meant to “improve attendance and enhance program use by public school teachers.” The article gives objectives on how to improve activities teachers do in their classrooms. The article says, “Make sure to select workshop objectives that are tailored to the particular needs and interests of your audience.” (Monroe et al) The problem with these workshops, not only in Florida, but across the nation is that they are designed to accommodate the students as a whole and not as individuals. Not all students learn and process information the same way. There are four different methods to learn: visual, auditory, verbal and tactile. If a teacher only uses one or two methods all year in a classroom, it is possible that half of the students are left behind because they do not learn that way. By enforcing these workshops, the government has confined school districts nation wide to only teach in a few different ways, leaving behind a plethora of students. These workshops are a sign of our society changing into a dystopia because they train students to learn only one way, which is the government’s way. It makes the students only aware of one way to learn which makes them more thoughtless and less able to express individuality.
Society today has shown many signs of a dystopian government occurring in the future. Modern day government has abused technology, limited freedom and individuality of citizens, and forced charity on the wealthy. Citizens rely too much on the government’s advancement of technology and what they think is safety for the people that our society could slip into a dystopia at any time and we would be oblivious to it. We see the subtle devices all around us and at our fingertips as convenient and easy but in reality it is the government’s way of enforcing control and power over everyone. The next time you look at a surveillance camera, think about the possibility of it speaking to you and the possibility of it knowing all information ever revealed about you.
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