Michel Foucault’s idea of Panopticism describes a society where people behave as if they are constantly being being watched even when they are not. While his metaphor of the prison tower symbolized power, in today's age that prison tower now symbolizes something much more relvent to us, the algorithm. I understand that I may not knowwho is viewing my social media, but I am aware that I am being watched. Every post I view and interact with becomes a record of my life online. Being aware that my data is being traced or my content is constantly being watched, influences how I act, what I post and even what I consume online. I've become way more careful of what I interact and engage with on social media. My presence online shows my true self, but not every single part of my life.
Siva Vaidhyanathan’s idea of the Cryptopticon expands on Foucault’s theory by revealing how we as a society willingly participate in apps using and tracking our data. Rather then making our social media pages private or try to hide ourselves online, we now volunteer our information through apps and social media platforms, totally unaware of how deeply our data is stored and sold. The Cryptopticon offers convenience to us in an exchange for privacy.
Both Foucault and Vaidhyanathan show that surveillance has evolved from a threat and something to be afraid of, into a daily habit. I’ve realized that I am both the watcher and the watched. Modern panocipticism thrives on our information being shared. This has genuinly made me more aware of the information that I am sharing online. We all need to be more careful.
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