Is Foucault Right?

Pan is a concept introduced by Michael Foucault and what he describes it as individuals who regulate their behavior due to the perception of being watched or under constant surveillance. One way this has been embedded in our society is through social media and constant surveillance through technology. Many surveillance technologies such as cameras facial recognition and even tracking our devices have become a staple in our society. Using things like face ID is something most people do on a daily basis to open their phone. Phone tracking is very common, many people are forgetful and forget where their phone is. Not only is the phone tracking it while it’s lost but it’s constantly being tracked even when we have it in our hands. These surveillance systems create a sense of being watched all the time which causes individuals to change how they act and live in society to avoid being watched by the government. Some individuals are successful and completely erasing themselves from the grid others believe that their small tactics work to get them off the radar. In many people’s workplaces management uses programs to track what their workers are doing or monitor activity throughout the work day. This can create a sense of anxiety among employees who feel like there’s a constant need to be doing something every minute of the day because they know they’re being watched. Social media and online platforms also monitor us on the daily people often curate their online persona to be completely different than how they act in real life. Some people are so infatuated with the way they are perceived online that that is the only thing they think about. The pervasive surveillance in technology in the constant feeling of being watched has changed the ways individuals interact during common tasks it has changed their response to surveillance due to the sense of feeling like they’re being watched.