Surveillance Society
Essay Question: (3) To what extent do new media technologies contribute to the development of the ‘surveillance society’ (Lyon 1994)? Discuss in relation to the notion of the panopticon.
Have anyone ever imagined the days without new media technologies? According to a new ICMPA study, most college students could not bear with life without technology. Not only the college students, most employees and professionals as well as kids are currently getting used to new media technology. Besides that, popular social networks such as YouTube and Facebook are in business and make profits by interacting with users and advertisers. The new media are undoubtedly playing an important role in daily life and people are now living under a surveillance society where everyone is watched and controlled without realizing it. Lyon (1994) indicated that nowadays humans start to realise that they are being observed in their daily activities. Surveillance happens every day to every human from the day one is born until death. Birth record and certificate has been issued to a new born baby, as soon as health and education record are done. Besides that, personal details is required when one applies for a credit card or loan and also, when one is travelling overseas. All details are been stored and controlled by the government on behalf of protecting the safety of the country and the people. The surveillance society is growing rapidly as compared to the past few years with the progress of the technologies and advancement in governance. The surveillance society is similar to a system named panopticon which was designed and developed for a prison by philosopher Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century. The idea of panopticon is to watch and control prisoners without being noticed by setting up a tower tall enough for the observer to monitor and whereby windows of the tower will be masked to avoid exposure. A similar concept of surveillance is also utilised in Taiwan. The Taiwan
Have anyone ever imagined the days without new media technologies? According to a new ICMPA study, most college students could not bear with life without technology. Not only the college students, most employees and professionals as well as kids are currently getting used to new media technology. Besides that, popular social networks such as YouTube and Facebook are in business and make profits by interacting with users and advertisers. The new media are undoubtedly playing an important role in daily life and people are now living under a surveillance society where everyone is watched and controlled without realizing it. Lyon (1994) indicated that nowadays humans start to realise that they are being observed in their daily activities. Surveillance happens every day to every human from the day one is born until death. Birth record and certificate has been issued to a new born baby, as soon as health and education record are done. Besides that, personal details is required when one applies for a credit card or loan and also, when one is travelling overseas. All details are been stored and controlled by the government on behalf of protecting the safety of the country and the people. The surveillance society is growing rapidly as compared to the past few years with the progress of the technologies and advancement in governance. The surveillance society is similar to a system named panopticon which was designed and developed for a prison by philosopher Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century. The idea of panopticon is to watch and control prisoners without being noticed by setting up a tower tall enough for the observer to monitor and whereby windows of the tower will be masked to avoid exposure. A similar concept of surveillance is also utilised in Taiwan. The Taiwan