Do we really have Power?

Do we really have Power? 

Power is the control one has over another.  Power is all around us every day, we just don’t see it.  Power is evident in a lot of forms of social media, but in many instances people either do not realise that it is there, or they do not care.  People can get so caught up in the online world, and they do not realise that they are continually being watched, and because they do not realise that they are constantly being watched, they create a safe haven and a safe place for themselves.  There are different sources of power that include: tradition, technology, and bureaucracy, (Kuttainen, 2017), these are just some of them, there are a lot more. 

Snapchat is just one form of social media in which power is present.  Snapchat is an app which allows its users to share images about what they are up to, the user may choose to allow the public to see their images or they may choose to send it to just their friends, and they can only be viewed for 24-hours.  Having only been a part of this app for a short time, it has become clear that there are different people who have power, in this social media platform.  Some people have more power than others and the people who have the most power are the people who are always watching, and making sure that all content is viewer friendly, for everyone. 

One of the major powers that is evident in all forms of social media is the monitors, and creators of the apps.  These people are always watching you and watching what you post, and the minute you put something up that is inappropriate, they either shut you down or take the post down.  So, there is always this feeling of people watching.  The idea of Panopticon (the belief that someone could be watching your every move so be careful, and behave) is discussed in a reading I read just recently written by Sherry Turkle.  In the book there is a line in which she states “On it information is easily accessible,” in which she refers to the internet (Turkle, 1995).  This reminds me of a book I read in high school by George Orwell, titled: “1984”.  In this novel Orwell “predicts the future”, where every step you take is monitored by “Big Brother”, and certain things are not allowed to hapen or be said. 

“Big Brother is Watching You”

Image Reference: http://www.wakingtimes.com/2015/02/18/all-the-creepy-ways-big-brother-is-watching-you/ 

 

As mentioned earlier, I have recently signed up to Snapchat.  Technology is just one source of power, as everyone has a phone in modern society, and most people are constantly attached to it.  Snapchat is a very popular social media platform, and a lot of people use it.  There are people who have a lot more friends than others, so these people have more influence over other users.  But overall the creators have the most power because they make decisions about what is and isn’t acceptable for their viewers.  The creators and monitors of the app use their power to make sure it is a safe and happy place for everyone. 

Reference List:

Kuttainen, V. (2017).  Power. BA1002 Lecture (p.5).  Townsville: Victoria Kuttainen.  (Lecture). 

Orwell, G. (2013).  1984.  London: Arcturus Publisihing Limited.  (Hyperlink). 

Turkle, S. (1995).  Life on the screen: Identity in the age of the internet.  New York, NY: Simon and  Schuster Paperbacks.  (Weekly Reading). 

Whitehead, J. W. (2015, February 18).  All the creepy ways big brother is watching you.  Retrieved from Waking Times: http://www.wakingtimes.com/2015/02/18/all-the-creepy-ways-big-brother-is-watching-you/  (Image).