Social media is a medium through which all can act as judge, jury and in some cases, even executioner. The peertipeer element of our mass surveillance society is not limited to the surveillance side of the equation. We ultimately internalize the gaze of the guard and in a sense, become a guard over ourself. Shamed people dislike themselves and want to change, hide or get rid of their self. If too severe or endured for too long, shame can lead an individual to lash out at society, or, in extreme cases, take his or her own life.
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
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