The Hit List - We are all Big Brother now

In 1949, author George Orwell published the novel 1984, a sinister tale about authoritarianism and mass surveillance. This story is set in the future, in a time of perpetual war. The Thought Police and Big Brother keep people in line by watching their every move. When this book was published, such a thing seemed frightening and impossible simultaneously.

But over the years, things have changed, and now cameras are everywhere. We are being watched constantly.

It’s not just the powers that be watching our every move. Instead, something far more innocuous and equally sinister exists that strips our privacy and puts us on notice: social media. While once upon a time, it seemed like a fantastic way to keep in touch with loved ones, now it’s a tool to monitor – and push conformity.

We are all Big Brother now.

We watch what the other guy is doing, stalk our exes, leave unwanted comments, and jump in the dogpile when someone is getting roasted. We point out typos, leave shitty reviews, and share private photos or statuses without consent. We are free to act out as the crappiest version of ourselves because, hey…it’s “just” social media.

While portable phones are a great way to capture special moments or provide proof in legal and other contentious situations, some use these devices to shame people for doing ordinary things, such as dancing awkwardly at a concert or changing at the gym. We are busy watching what the other guy is doing, so we might create a mean-spirited reel that goes viral. That could lead to online popularity.

We obsess over likes and views because we’re conditioned to believe they are important. God forbid if someone unfriends or unfollows! It’s not always personal. But social media makes it FEEL like it has everything to do with you.

We get outraged when someone speaks out about politics or their beliefs…if they don’t match ours. We get angrier when someone is silent. Why aren’t they speaking out about this or that? So we show up in their DMs, pushing them to “say something,” and when they do, they are told to just shut up and sing. You can’t win on social media.

We’re all busy telling on each other. Someone is always watching, waiting for the “gotcha” moment.

Ultimately, this creates conformity. The fear of not belonging, which is what social media is supposedly about, keeps everyone locked in place. Instead of being ourselves, we squash our personalities into some bland box to fit in or avoid trouble. Freedom of expression is too risky.

But it doesn’t need to be this way. We have choices.

You can opt out of social media.
If that’s not possible, you can spend less time on these platforms.
You can stop sharing personal information online.
Stop scrolling, put down your phone, and pay attention to the world around you.
You can stop monitoring other people.
You can stop leaving shitty reviews.
You can make space for other opinions, beliefs, and thoughts.
You can stop judging.
You can have real-life conversations with people, which is much better than dropping a comment on a post you don’t like.
You can mind your own activism instead of trying to shame people for not doing whatever you think they should be doing (not everyone is cut out for loud protests or performative anything).
You can choose peace over outrage and fear.

You can just be…yourself…offline.

“Go to where you are kindest” ― Jaron Lanier

xo
Theresa

Ps: my son and I were having a thoughtful conversation about social media the other day when he pointed out, “We’re all Big Brother now.” That conversation was the inspo for this post. Because great conversations happen offline.

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