Word count: 646
*quote and title not
included
How close are we to the life in ‘1984’?
“War is peace, slavery is freedom, ignorance is
strength”
In the world of 1984 everywhere you go, there are always surveillance cameras and you will most
likely be watched by other people. The control the government has in 1984 seems to be extreme,
however there are certain similarities to be found between 1984’s and today’s society. I believe the
differences are not as big as one may think.
First of all, the government in 1984 has complete control, even having a disloyal thought is
considered a crime. In today’s society this is not the case, however that does not mean the
government is not watching over us. The world has experienced major technological developments
and since the majority of the society nowadays is online, there is not much privacy left. In fact, every
person that uses the internet these days will automatically give away personal information to the
government or other organizations. For instance, in the USA the NSA got caught collecting data of
citizens without permission. They collected personal information such as phone records and text
messages. Thus the government has quite some power and control over its citizens through the
internet.
Secondly, in 1984 there is a language called newspeak. This is a language only citizens of Oceania
speak. The society of this century also has a different language, it is the online language that is used
to communicate with each other. New terms and words have been added to the vocabulary of
teenagers as well as adults. In addition, since the older generations are not aware of the new words
used, the use of this online language indirectly isolates people. This shows a comparison with 1984,
*quote and title not
included
How close are we to the life in ‘1984’?
“War is peace, slavery is freedom, ignorance is
strength”
In the world of 1984 everywhere you go, there are always surveillance cameras and you will most
likely be watched by other people. The control the government has in 1984 seems to be extreme,
however there are certain similarities to be found between 1984’s and today’s society. I believe the
differences are not as big as one may think.
First of all, the government in 1984 has complete control, even having a disloyal thought is
considered a crime. In today’s society this is not the case, however that does not mean the
government is not watching over us. The world has experienced major technological developments
and since the majority of the society nowadays is online, there is not much privacy left. In fact, every
person that uses the internet these days will automatically give away personal information to the
government or other organizations. For instance, in the USA the NSA got caught collecting data of
citizens without permission. They collected personal information such as phone records and text
messages. Thus the government has quite some power and control over its citizens through the
internet.
Secondly, in 1984 there is a language called newspeak. This is a language only citizens of Oceania
speak. The society of this century also has a different language, it is the online language that is used
to communicate with each other. New terms and words have been added to the vocabulary of
teenagers as well as adults. In addition, since the older generations are not aware of the new words
used, the use of this online language indirectly isolates people. This shows a comparison with 1984,
