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Vanessa Rosales
Tolkan
ERWC Per 2
18 February 2015
The Technology Leading to a Dystopian Society
Is the world moving closer to a dystopian society? The debate of whether the
people are being watched by the government, where privacy doesn't exist, or
whether the new city camera systems are there to keep the citizens safe from
crime. Surely, a dystopian future is no place a country wants to find themselves. But
is the strive for safety leading us down this unwanted path? Without a doubt, the
information taken into analysis by the government and companies from the citizen's
daily lives are meant to keep the community safe and easily functioning, but if this
information were to be discovered by a malignant force, the people could suffer
from what could be a dystopian-like problem.
Orwell used his novel, 1984, to warn the audience, to warn the people of
what atrocious things could happen if the government becomes a malignant force
with inexplicable amounts of power. "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU" (Orwell 2).
Simply one of the most explicitly stated aversions of a dystopian society states by
Orwell. At this time, there are several debates that are on-going in the same topic.
In the article "That's No Phone. That's My Tracker." Peter Maass and Megha
Rajagopalan explain how cell phones today, do more than make phone calls. "
These devices are also taking note of what we buy, where and when we buy it, how
much money we have in t he bank, whom we text and e-mail, what Web sites we
visit, how and where we travel, what time we go to sleep and wake up--and
more"(Maass, Rajagopalan 129). It may be unsettling to see what other activities a

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Smartphone may do while one may be using the internet. And where is this data
going? "Much of that data is shared with companies that use it to offer us services
they think we want" (Maass, Rajagpalan 129). Though this may not be for the worst
of situations, the information is giving without any direct notifications. Of course, it
may be surprising to see that, though without much conscious thinking, some other
devices are watching one's actions and are responding to one's interests shown. All
to say, if this information were used by a malignant force, things like the money in
the bank, location, and e-mail, surely this can form into an Orwellian problem
depicted in the dystopian society of Oceania: the manipulation through fear.
Similarly, in this society, there has been an increase in the usage in the
amount of surveillance cameras for the safety of the community. Within the
community in the Orwellian dystopian, they undergo the same situation, though it is
much severe than what is seen currently today. "The instrument (the telescreen, it
was called) could be dimmed , but there was no way of shutting it off completely
The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston
made above the very low level of a whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so
long as he remained in the field of vision" (Orwell 3). Those living in the dystopian
world in 1984 lived in constant surveillance. Now, today there are examples of how
video cameras are being used to watch and protect the people in the city from
predictable crimes and unfortunate events. "The new program synchronizes law
enforcement data with real-time video feeds from parks, beaches, business
corridors and even some retail centers" (Winton 132). These cameras are giving
information that is seen: people going to work, groups of people talking, and where
the people go daily in the areas watched. Once again, if this information is released
or somehow is in the grasp of a malignant force, this information can be used to

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stalk people, or know their general whereabouts. The technology known and used
today isn't being used, as far a the people know, to spy on everyone, the purpose is
to simply prevent what could be a catastrophic event.
Are we being subjected to this kind of dystopian society? Evidence is showing
that we are living in a society where surveillance is being used and is fully capable
to be used against the people. "The chief said it won't be the case of "big brother is
watching," because a central control center will enlist the private area only when
police know an incident is unfolding in an certain area" (Winton 132). Seeing this is
a relief to those that suspect to be watched, it's simply stated that this technology
is used only in the respects of crime and is used only in an area where a crime may
be unfolding. More on the purpose states, "It is designed to make us more efficient
in combating crime and to promote greater community and officer safety" (Winton
132). Finally on the tracking on cell phones, "People could call them trackers. It's a
neutral term, because it covers positive activities--monitoring appointments, bank
balances, friends--and problematic ones, like the government and advertisers
watching" (Maass, Rajagopalan 131). Technologies used are capable of doing both
the positive and negative. It's time to become fully aware of the technology that it
being used and what problems can be determined for the future.
Is society moving closer to what Orwell describes as a dystopian society,
where the citizens are watched and controlled by the fear of being watched? The
answer is undetermined. With the technology found today in the usage of cameras,
and tracking devices in cell phones, we can see that the things we use today are
seen in 1984. The aspect that makes the society people live in today is the lack of a
malignant force that will use these technologies to watch the people and cause

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them to live in fear. This is all as far as we know. But until the day a force like this
will rise, society will continue walking the fine line between normalcy and dystopia.