Essay on 21st Century Dystopia in 1984

In Orwell's novel 1984, 21st century America is evolving into a dystopian society through the constant perception of being under surveillance and citizens being controlled through propaganda.

The control of our citizens in today's 21st-century world has been shown through propaganda lifestyles and the changing of people's ideas. For example, in 1984, O’Brien, who was a part of the inner party, talks to Winston and explains what holding power does to a society and what a powerful government can do, “Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing” (Orwell 266-267). Propaganda is described as biased or misleading information that's used to promote a point of view. Power is conveyed in the book as the Big Brother and they hold much power which causes the alternating of ideas among the citizens. O’Brien illustrates that by changing someone's ideas or mind to fit a certain individual's misleading point of view, one can be controlled and not able to portray their own ideas. Throughout the 21 st century, propaganda is used in our daily lives. According to a study conducted by John Simpson a writer for Forbes magazine regarding the amount of propaganda or ads we see a day they state, “Digital marketing experts estimate that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day” (Forbes Magazine). Americans are exposed to many advertisements a day as Forbes Magazine stated which correlates to an Oregon State Study discussing what all these ads can do to a person, “The advertiser’s intentions are to try to get into your mind and influence your thoughts and decisions” (Oregon State). Adding to O'Briens idea, propaganda is used to influence our ideas into one's perfect state of mind. Propaganda's main focus is to modify or adjust the understanding of a certain topic and ideas. Now in the 21st-century people are forced to adapt to a certain way of thinking to match a stereotype that has been caused by the constant propaganda we see in our daily lives. Propaganda is one of the biggest influences toward 21st century America turning into a dystopian society.

Surveillance has flooded our 21st century America into becoming a dystopian society and destroying all hope of having independent thought. A telescreen has the ability to pick up sounds and movements and was used by the corrupt government, Big Brother. . Winston is informed by one of the big brother members or O’Brian that, “Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment” (Orwell 3). With the presence of telescreens, Winston’s privacy is limited which ultimately restricts his freedom to do as he pleases. Being under constant surveillance puts a toll on one's shoulders and begins to cause paranoia which is the fear of always being watched. Paranoia comes with the act of being watched, syndicated columnist, Jacob Sullum explained what happens when paranoia takes over and how it can limit and affect actions, “knowing that you are being watched by armed government agents tends to put a damper on things. You don't want to offend them or otherwise call attention to yourself” (Jacob Sullum). Being under surveillance constantly can cause anxiety and a decrease in normal actions. This demonstrates a dystopian society by forcing all citizens to abide and conform to a certain way of living. Surveillance today in the 21st century has become a large aspect of a dystopian society.

In contrast, many may argue that surveillance does not limit privacy or seclusion from the outside world. In the blog RedLink, written by Amanda Li who is an author, she believes that with security the world is able to feel more safe and comfortable while creating their own sense of guidance and security, she says, Since public safety is guaranteed, people's fear of crime can also be reduced, while their sense of security is created” (Amanda Li). Many who may think that we are not becoming a dystopian society, our 21st century has proven through perceptions of being under constant surveillance and propaganda being used to control our common day citizens now.