Ponopticism.

A ponoptic area of our society is the Immense CCTV coverage of our lives. On the one side the advantages of CCTV can  be seen first hand in the prevention of crime. However the other more daunting and scary side is how much as a society we are actually monitored. Britain appears to have far more watchful eyes trained on its population than any other country in the world. This it why CCTV is deterrent and a key ingredient in reducing crime and keeping society safe. However  CCTV also makes sure society remembers that someone is always there, watching at times like Big Brother. Making most of society feel to frightened and paranoid to break the law. The reality of this is that a lot  of theses cameras aren't  always monitored or are just recording the live events. This is were CCTV fails society or the people governing and monitoring them fail society. "This surveillance is based on a system of permanent registration"- we are not alone. There is an uneasy presence lingering. We are being monitored, recorded and checked up on every second of the day, being molded into docile bodies without even realising. 


A docile body described by Michael Foucault- "one that may be subjected, used, transformed, and improved. And that this docile body can only be achieved through strict regiment of disciplinary acts". Focault argues that we cannot choose to enter modern society; we are controlled by it through its technologies of power. In a sense we almost being turned into Robots. Doing exactly what we are told. "The penetration of regulation into even the smallest details of everyday life through the mediation  of the complete hierarchy that assured the capillary functioning".Who monitors the people doing the monitoring. That is the question that worries me. How do we know what is being done with these CCTV evidence. Or how much of it is being ignored. 


The more we rely on technology to protect our lives the more we become complasent about the invasion of our privacy, its a necessary evil of our modern society.



All quotes form Michael Foucault.