You are big brother

Remember 1984? Not the year, but the novel, which ominously described a society in which Big Brother is always watching you. It may have taken a few decades after 1984, but today, it does appear that no matter where you go or what you do, you at least run the risk of being watched and viewed. And, depending on what you’re actually doing, watched and viewed can easily transmogrify into caught and exposed.

It’s no secret that we live in a 24 hour world now. With technology making communication such a simple and instant affair, we can talk to anyone at anytime, regardless of wherever they live or whatever time zone they dwell in. And because we are living in a state where there is a constant flow of information and news, people are now becoming aware that what you do today may soon be plastered all over the internet within a matter of hours.

Cellular phones, primarily were designed to make communication mobile and instant. Rather than needing to get a quarter, than locate a pay phone to make a call, you could just pull out your cell phone and dial instantly. But, cell phones soon became a tool used to report, rather than just to talk. Now, of course, if you have a cell phone and you see someone in distress and who needs assistance, you should definitely make that call. But, now there are eyewitness reports coming from cell phone callers of the most trivial things. Again, is that really necessary?

Add to that fact that cell phones, and most portable electronic devices are now equipped with digital video cameras. Today, everyone can be a roving eyewitness reporter and get live, first-hand footage of any event just by turning on the cell phone and hitting the record button. From disasters like Hurricane Katrina to the Michael Richards meltdown, events, news and things that aren’t so newsworthy were being caught and recorded on video cameras that are popping up just about everywhere.

And once it’s on a digital video camcorder, the next logical step for it to go to will be online and on the internet. The internet is now the world’s news network, and anyone who uploads a video or file onto the web is now a reporter. Everyone is watching everyone else, and everyone can’t wait to tell everyone else what everyone else is doing. That is the essence of our completely connected technological world.