The penopticon is an architect a creation of the eighteenth century philosopher jeremy bentham. The corps of the penopticons design consists of a roundhouse with prison cells encircling all sides, visibly open and stacked on top of each other to form circular walls. In the centre is a watch tower, which is cleverly installed with venetian blinds and mirrors s that inmates in their cells can never be sure if they are being watched by the guard. A smart phone in every pocket, smart devices all around us, and all constantly connected to the internet has created a variation of thePenopticon that does away with the need for any special architectural design. We become
In the book The Origins of Totalitarianism Hannah Arendt describes the rudimentary mass surveillance system used by the secret police force of the Russian Empire. “Every suspect was noted on a large card in the center of which his name was surrounded by a red circle; his political friends were designated by smaller red circles […]
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Smartphones and Social Media: A Mass Surveillance Dystopia first appeared on
Academy of Ideas.