In the novel 1984 “Big Brother” refers to the leader of a group called “The Party”, which rules the state Oceania. Today “Big Brother” is the government, it exists everywhere from satellites, airport computer software, the IRS, security cameras being installed everywhere etc. “Big Brother” exists today because no one is really doing anything to prevent the government from taking our privacy. We need to stand up to the government and fight back. I believe that if we all took a stand and fought for our privacy more, the government would lay off a bit. They do not know it is a problem unless we let them know right? Its not like we have a “thought police force” or something.
I think privacy still does exist today, but only when we are hidden somewhere with nothing that can get traced like a cell phone etc. But is having to hide away from “Big Brother” really the right to privacy? In 1984, This idea comes up when Winston and Julia have to hide their relationship and meet in places that are not watched like the old church and in the woods etc. I believe that we have lost our right to privacy in a way because we are usually always being observed by the government one way or another just like Winston and Julia. Though this happens to us like the characters in 1984, I do not think it is to that extreme...yet. I think that the problem with our privacy lies somewhere with the progression of our technology. As we advance our technology, our privacy seems to become less and less. This is because we are willing to give up our basic freedoms like privacy to feel more “safe” in this society. For example, we may feel safer when companies and schools install security cameras, but at the same time we will sometimes get annoyed and say that it affects our privacy. Should we eliminate the cameras? Or eliminate our privacy?
I think that the answer is that we need to find a happy medium somewhere or this will continue to be a problem for most of us. I would say that if things keep heading the way they are now, then we will continue to lose our feeling of security and freedom more and more. This will happen until one day when we do not even know what those words mean anymore. This government is certainly not a very good big brother.
