An American motivational author, Louise L. Hay, once said, “I do not fix problems. I fix my thinking. Then problems fix themselves” (Hay). Many of the problems people face today require much thinking to solve. Technology has taken a toll on the community and the way people think. Various articles discuss this impact, including The Effects of Social Media on How We Speak and Write by Karan Chopra, This Is How Technology Is Affecting Your Relationship published on HuffPost, The Effects of Technology on Relationships by Alex Lickerman M.D., Americans’ Complicated Feelings About Social Media in an Era of Privacy Concerns by Lee Rainie, and What Are the Benefits of Social Media for Society and Business? These sources mention that humans hold differing perspectives on the impact technology is having on people today. As humans grow into the 21st century, the world is becoming more similar to the novel 1984 written by George Orwell in the mid-20th century, through “textspeak,” individual privacy, and social media platforms.
A new form of language has been created in today’s world similar to Newspeak which is the form of language created by Big Brother, the head of society in the novel 1984. As a case in point, in the novel 1984 Syme a character that works in the Ministry of Truth which is one of the few ministries, works on the dictionary to create fewer words,“Plusgood covers the meaning of doubleplusgood. If you want something stronger. Of course, we use those forms already, but in the final version of Newspeak, there be nothing else, in the end, the whole notion of goodness and badness will be covered by six words”(Orwell, Book 1 Chapter 5 Pg 6). By having fewer ways to express multiple feelings individuals are not able to do as much thinking. Allowing humans to comprise more terms to express their thoughts gives them a stronger feeling of authority which might arise a threat to Big Brother. Creating not as many appellations in the dictionary is a form of taking away freedom from the nation that lives under Big Brother’s rule. New forms of language are not beneficial and could hurt communities. Karan Chopra in September 13th of 2016 explains the harm that social media brings in a communication aspect in her article The effects of social media on how we speak and write ,many media platforms encourage people to use fewer words when using their applications, social sites similar to Twitter vitalize a character limit that enforces users to precipitate their thoughts(Chopra). By forcing people to condense their thoughts enables more negative situations to happen online. Mortals are not able to think through what they are putting online because the restrictions that they receive from these social media platforms to use fewer characters. The general public in today’s world is becoming much more automate the same as the citizens in Orwell’s 1984 which hold no control over anything that they are taught. Rarely allowing people to use characters does not only not permit people to think but it creates a society with much more foolishness.
An invasion of privacy is currently happening in the United States of America resembling the Telescreens that were used in the novel 1984. At the beginning of Orwell’s 1984 Winston, the main character explains the use of the Telescreens that are in every single room to control thoughts,“There was, of course, no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate, they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to”(Orwell, Book 1 Chapter 1 Pg 2). Citizens in the novel 1984 are constantly watched and retain no control of it. There is a significant invasion of privacy that occurs through these telescreens. The citizens are not allowed to think about anything. Even if they attempted to prevail disloyalty there is this constant small voice in their heads repeating the same slogan “you are being watched” several times. Humans in the 21st century deal with this same ordeal. In a recent article Americans’ complicated feelings about social media in an era of privacy concerns published on March 27, 2018, written by Lee Rainie addresses how the government has surveillance programs that allow people’s personal information to be available to marketers when they no longer in control(Rainie). Allowing marketers to gain access to personal information is a great privacy violator the same as Telescreens in 1984. Members of the human race are being watched and trying to find a way to protect themselves which is identical to what Winston did in 1984 when he turned his back to the Telescreen. People do not know when they are being watched or when a website run by the government can arise a potential threat to them. Humans will soon persist to dehumanization by not able being to create their own decisions but instead ones controlled by the government because of all this access.
However, others would argue that Social media platforms bring people so much joy in the world today by allowing new forms of communication. In the article What are the benefits of social media for society and business published in July of 2017 explains the usefulness of social networks, the internet allows the public to ensue the ability to communicate at a much faster rate and that allows messages that educate and inform to get to them sooner(What Are The Benefits Of Social Media For Society And Business?). There is some truth to what the article is saying but social media platforms are harmful in many ways. These public networks do not bring as much happiness that the populace seems to believe that they do. In the article This is how technology is affecting your relationship presented by HuffPost on October 17 in 2014,discusses the effects of technology on relationships in the nation today, technology affects relationships by, putting them on a toll and it gives a new way of communicating how we truly feel and trust in one another(This Is How Technology). By making humanity believe that their relationships are real takes them away from reality merely how citizens in 1984 are when they are forced to connect to their partner. Through technology humans are able to communicate with multitudes of crowds, meaning different cultures and ways of thinking that differ from one’s personal thoughts. The nation is able to fantasize about false relationships through social platforms. This a huge level of endangerment; many men are fallacy online. Alex Lickerman M.D.Confers about the maltreat of mobile communication in his article The Effects of technology on relationships published June 8th of 2010, he mentions that many folks find themselves replacing electronic relationships for physical ones or mistaking electronic ones for physical ones(Lickerman ). Replacing electronic relationships with false ones takes the reality away from real ones. This can allow crowds to not pay attention to what is happening in the real world. Instead, they are living in a world of virtual reality. Having no physical interaction can is harmful and that is not suitable for one’s mental health and can lead to a more dystopian community. In such a way the world is once again becoming more as the novel 1984 where the citizens are un-human and not allowed to interact with anyone at all unless they were assigned to. Soon the world will feel as though they will not be able to talk to in person unless it is “assigned” through the network.
The 21st-century society will soon transpire almost identical to the one in Orwell’s 1984. Textspeak, Individual privacy, and social media platforms are factors leading this disgraceful act. The Government must act accordingly are these events will never be fixed. Presuming that humans do not think through their actions they will soon the ones affected greatly because these actions will continue and result in the most disturbing rejoinders. All these existing problems seriously question the reason as to why the declaration of the right of independence was created when it clearly states that Men are created equal and that they possess rights that are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Liberty is the main right that is being violated in today’s world.