In 1948, George Orwell wrote a book with spine tingling insights into the future,
1984. This book did quite a number on the literate world. Many people read this book
and became fearful of the year, 1984, when the government would take control of
everything, including people's thoughts. 1984 came and went. There were no signs of
a governmental take-over, no helicopters looking into windows or telescreens in every
room. Instead there was Ronald Reagan, Flock of Seagulls, and bad dressers. Many
people have written off Orwell's book as fiction, but should it be written off as just fiction
or should evidence of a governmental take-over be looked for more carefully? If people
look a little closer at technology they can easily see that a take-over could happen and
may even be happening. A negative utopia, like the one demonstrated in the book
1984, is very possible and very close to happening in today's society through modern
technology and the surveillance that comes with it.
Modern technology is great, but in the wrong hands it could be a very dangerous
weapon of destruction and control. In 1984, Orwell showed a world in which people are
under the control of the government by the thought police with the help of telescreens,
helicopters, and microphones. Take a look at surveillance items available today, video
cameras the size of a dime, cameras in smoke detectors, phone taps, small
microphones called wires, store surveillance cameras, school surveillance cameras,
and even bathroom surveillance cameras. These surveillance options are not all being
used by the government to watch the masses, right now it may only be happening on a
small scale right now, but a problem will arise when the government does start
watching the masses. With all of equipment is available to create surveillance, it is
only a matter of time until the government starts watching the masses on...