Panopticon In The Digital Age

Running head: PANOPTICON IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Panopticon in the digital age
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Introduction
The various forms of art express the real situations as prevailing in the society at the
particular moment. The twenty first century has seen a rise in the form of digital media whereby
the individuals have tried to use such virtual platforms in order to showcase various different
issues to the world (Mitrou et al. 2014). One of the important features of the digital media is that
it has allowed the individuals of the society to utilize it for their own personal and professional
uses. One of the most influential virtual platforms which are used in the present day order are
those of Facebook and Instagram (Reiman 2017). The purpose of this essay is to understand how
the social media platforms of Facebook and Instagram empower and also suppress personal
expression and agency. In this context, the concepts advocated by Michael Foucault have been
taken in to consideration which have talked about the moderation of our behavior.
Michael Foucault’s concept of panopticon
Panopticon is a terminology used in the field of architecture. It refers to the situation
whereby a watchman has the liberty to observe the occupants of a particular building or society
without the occupants being aware that they are being kept a vigilant eye on (Kietzmann and
Angell 2014). According to Foucault, the people of the society are subjected to the different
modalities of the power and authority since they are a part of the disciplinary system of the
society (Berner, Graupner and Maedche 2014). In other words, those individual ho exercise their
authority within the state, have the power to ensure that the activities and behavior of the
individuals of the community are kept under surveillance (Arvanitakis 2014).
This idea of panopticon is considered to be significant in the context of the behavior of
the individuals of the society. When a person is kept under surveillance, there is a potential

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chance when their behaviors and attitudes would be moderated. In other words, such individuals
would not be able to behave and act in a manner of their choosing (Galič, Timan and Koops
2017). Their personal liberty and freedom would be hampered in the sense that they would not
have the opportunity to behave in a manner as they want to. In the event that they do not comply
with the wishes of the state and behave in a way which is in direct opposition to the demands of
the state, then there is a likelihood that the concerned individual would be punished (Leclercq-
Vandelannoitte, Isaac and Kalika 2014). As a result of this fear arising out of a potential
punishment, often times it can be seen that the individuals choose to forfeit their own happiness
and freedom for the wishes of the state (Arvanitakis 2014). In this regard, the idea of panopticon
holds an essential position within the societal boundary of the contemporary society.
Social media platforms and their impact on the lives of the individuals
The various social media platforms such as that of Facebook and Instagram, are relatively
newer virtual forums which allows people to share their thoughts on the online platform. In the
modern age of liberalism and capitalism, it is widely believed that the governments of the
various nation states of the world do not interfere in the working of the private individuals of the
society (Crowley, Payne and Kennedy 2014). In other words, there is a minimal level of
interference which can be observed from the various governmental bodies.
However, while this is true from a theoretical perspective, it is not so from a practical
point of view. In the present scenario, it can be seen that the various governmental bodies have
devised many measures and means with the aid of which they are able to keep a vigilant eye on
the activities of their own population (Elden and Crampton 2016). One of the most effective
ways of doing this is with the aid of the various social media platforms. For instance, people
have the freedom and the liberty to share their thoughts and expressions on such platforms,