The idea of panopticism considers the fact that no one ever really knows when or if they are actually being watched, but they always act accordingly because they never know if they are being watched or not. One example of panopticism that pops out to me the most is the one that was born in the modern era. The internet and social media give people a feeling that there is always something or someone watching which intimidates people to conform to the norms of society and its standards.
Social media is a digital check and a fitting example of how panopticism operates for normal citizens in this modern time. Likes, comments, and shares and other social media interactions cause users of these social media apps to be subjected to praise, scrutiny and ridicule by people they know as well as perfect strangers. The idea that anyone can say anything at any time about whatever they post online makes people monitor themselves and how they represent themselves on social media. This self-monitoring causes social media users to present themselves online in a way that is socially acceptable. In this virtual panopticon, the fear of judgment and ridicule is the source of discipline for breaking the rules or falling out of line which causes people to follow the rules and social norms that run our society. People believe that others are always watching everything that is on social media. There have been multiple occasions when friends of mine have decided to not do certain risky things in public because they were afraid that someone would write about it or post it on social media. There have also been times when I have been hesitant to post on social media because I was concerned about the possibility of being ridiculed or embarrassed about the post.