Seen through the panopticon; Snapchat disempowering the private psyche.
Blog prompt C: “Drawing
on Foucault’s conceptual understanding of Bentham’s pantopticon, in relation to
your readings, how is panoptic power in evidence in your online social network?”
In this
contemporary age, we are expected to be connected.
We are the digital bazaar, as individuals race
swiftly from page to page- consuming, scrolling, swiping- in this frantic effort
to barter off a construction of ourselves which simply does not exist. More frighteningly,
we are becoming more aware of the tactics these hubs of sociality utilize to keep
us online- and rather than rejecting these inane efforts to fit in, we choose
the comfort of external validation.
Snapchat is one
of the most popular social media venues among todays youth- and alarmingly the
social panopticon acts at the basis for its conception. The intent of the platform
is to share images that disappear after a set amount of time. And whilst the
slogan “The fastest way to share a moment” may sound harmless, its foreboding
meaning goes unseen to the casual user.
Many features
of the app involve “streaks” which rely on users sending an image daily to be
rewarded with an “emoji”, and the dopamine mining “addictive currencies” (as Poppy Jamie of Ted X mentions)
such as viewing 24h available “stories” and limited time offers keep the junkie
type users physiologically “doped up” and consistently engaging with the app. Snapchat
also informs users when people have seen their stories or posts- and thus the
need for views, and the need to be seen is glorified, even cherished in this system.
The panoptic effect is blatant, yet “moments” must be shared, and an individual’s
private existence is sacrificed for a state of “permanent visibility” (Kuttainen,
2019) through the app.
Users live
"being seen" through Snapchat's panopticon (Garrison, 2010)
In this way,
the solitude of our youth is corrupted- and companies as such Snapchat are breeding a
generation which craves “connection” and accepts the panopticon with open arms,
as “We are both guards and prisoners, watching and implicitly judging one
another as we share content.” (Rayner, 2012) Snapchat entices users to indulge
in their own façade of self and in turn somewhat substitute physically present
interaction for the digital. For instance, moments are no longer an unadulterated
existence but becomes a premeditated commodity to be immortalized, to be
shared- and in turn the technological presence funnels the human experience into
a restricted way of behaving (Kuttainen, 2019).
Thus, the use of mutual watching keeps individuals powerless whilst networks like Snapchat holds dominion over the content and data harvested from their users. It is so that our networks of communication are dominated by the panopticon of both corporate and social surveillance ,however in this contemporary age where sharing is commonplace and personal liberty is a commodity of the past- it seems we must accept this Orwell-ian fate or otherwise shut away from the new age.
Thus, the use of mutual watching keeps individuals powerless whilst networks like Snapchat holds dominion over the content and data harvested from their users. It is so that our networks of communication are dominated by the panopticon of both corporate and social surveillance ,however in this contemporary age where sharing is commonplace and personal liberty is a commodity of the past- it seems we must accept this Orwell-ian fate or otherwise shut away from the new age.
References
George, R. (2010). Live FAST Mag.
Retrieved 19 August, 2019, from
http://livefastmag.com/2010/10/rising-star-scott-garrison/
Kuttainen, V. (2019). Lecture 3: Power. Retrieved 19 August, 2019, from BA1002: Our Space Networks, Narrative and the Making of Place.
Rayner, T. (2012). Philosophy for change. Retrieved 19 August, 2019, from https://philosophyforchange.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/foucault-and-social-media-life-in-a-virtual-panopticon/
Comments
Post a Comment