You Did Not Notice These Things About 1984.
When I picked up George Orwell’s “1984” again, I had vague memories of Big Brother, of Newspeak, and of the gloomy dystopian world that had once sent chills down my spine.
Only after the deep dive into the narrative of Winston Smith, Orwell’s hero — or rather, anti-hero — did I feel an eerily familiar echo in today’s society.
You are being watched.
The theme of surveillance is the first to hit you.
In Orwell’s world, Big Brother’s incessant gaze is omnipresent.
Telescreens, hidden microphones, and spies are woven into the fabric of life in Airstrip One. Revisiting this, I wonder how we have voluntarily become part of a similarly watched society.
Our smartphones, smart homes, and social media serve a parallel function, perhaps not always driven by malicious intent but still collecting every possible byte of our existence.
It makes me reflect on the line: “Big Brother is watching you.”
Now, we might as well say something different.
“Big Data is watching you.”
Are we being manipulated?
Another subtlety that struck me was Orwell’s portrayal of language manipulation.
The linguistic engineering project of Newspeak is designed to constrain thought, making it impossible to conceive of any opposition to the Party. It now dawns on me how the Internet and social media, with their own lexicons, abbreviations, and emoticons, shape our communication.
While not as dystopian as Newspeak, the evolving language landscape on digital platforms significantly influences how we perceive and express our thoughts.
Historical Revisionism
In 1984, history is rewritten to suit the Party’s narrative, ensuring it always appears infallible.
While it might not be as overt today, similar patterns of revising history, ‘cancel culture’, and selective storytelling have started to appear in the digital age, causing a shift in how we remember our collective past.
The culture of fear and conformity, another staple in Orwell’s dystopia, reminds me of the present-day climate of polarization, misinformation, and echo chambers.
In the book, any non-conformist thinking is deemed thoughtcrime, punishable by unimaginable torture.
While our society hasn’t gone to those extremes, the fear of being shunned, canceled, or trolled for expressing a contrarian view is real.
Reading Orwell’s “1984” in this era, it became a mirror reflecting some facets of our current reality.
It reminded me of the importance of critical thinking, questioning the narratives we’re served, and the power that language, information, and surveillance have over us.
However, it also served as a reminder that our society is far from the dystopian nightmare Orwell envisaged.
Despite the parallels, we can debate, discuss, and challenge the status quo.
We have access to multiple sources of information, a variety of languages to express our thoughts, and the ability to switch off our devices and step away from prying eyes.
But perhaps the most important thing 1984 reminded me of was the importance of vigilance.
The book was not merely Orwell’s dystopian vision but also a warning.
It is a testament to its enduring relevance that we continue to find echoes of its narrative in our world.
However, we must remember that these echoes should guide us away from Orwell’s nightmare, not toward it.
