One way that panopticism has permeated our culture is the widespread use of surveillance technologies, especially on the internet and in public areas. The ubiquitous presence of surveillance cameras in public spaces such as streets, stores, and even homes makes people conscious of their surroundings all the time. People become more self-aware as a result of this awareness, and they begin to act in ways that conform to society’s norms and expectations even when an authority figure is not watching them. By fostering the idea that one could be watched at all times, surveillance technologies produce a panoptic effect that encourages adherence to norms and regulations. People internalize disciplinary mechanisms and regulate their behavior to avoid possible scrutiny or judgment as a result of this pervasive sense of being watched.
Panopticism also spreads into the virtual sphere with the introduction of digital surveillance techniques like internet tracking and data collection by tech companies. Because users are always conscious that what they do online is being watched and recorded, they also practice self-censorship and self-regulation in digital environments. Furthermore, social media’s ascent has exacerbated the panoptic effect by fostering environments in which people voluntarily subject their lives to public scrutiny. The tendency to self-monitor and self-regulate behavior can result from the pressure to present oneself favorably online and to conform to social norms. To add on, government monitoring initiatives that are frequently defended in the name of national security help to normalize being watched. A pervasive sense of surveillance and control is created by mass surveillance techniques like metadata collection and communication channel monitoring, which can cause people to change their behavior out of fear of possible repercussions.
In conclusion, a panoptic system in which people are compelled to adhere to social norms and standards of behavior even in the absence of direct observation is reinforced by the pervasiveness of surveillance technologies in both physical and digital environments. This phenomenon shows how relevant Foucault’s theory of panopticism is even in modern society.