Panopticism is the belief that you are being watched which causes one to essentially watch their behavior and how they act. I think this has been incorporated in our society by the excessive use of technology and the excessive placement of cameras everywhere. I think because everyone is so used to being watched, their data being collected, and being essentially tracked, everyone has this subconscious thought that we are always being watched. So it makes everyone feel like they are always watched and makes them assume that everywhere they go is infested with cameras and surveillance systems such as fingerprinting, body scanning, etc. Therefore, people just keep the thought that they are being watched and try to be conscious about what they do in public.
Another way I believe this has been incorporated into our society includes outdoor areas where people may feel self-conscious about themselves. I think this is commonly viewed in gyms because most people have a fear of going to the gym because they don’t want to look ‘dumb’ doing their workout being that they are rookies. When in actual reality, no one cares, although there are always outliers that are actually creeps and watch. I think this stems from the constant recording and upload of people doing things ‘wrong’ in the gym with bad form or lower weights being made fun of or talked about on social media. This makes people very self-conscious and deters them from going to the gym and feeling comfortable. So they rather go where no one is and perfect their craft before going around other people.
An example of panopticism in my opinion can be seen in schools, especially colleges. Some people who have the fear of getting caught do not cheat although they are truly not being watched. This can be rooted in their integrity, rooted in the consequences that are attached to the behavior or rooted in the simple fact that they are used to being watched during tests or exams.