What is panopticism, and how is related to Google Glass - Essay Example

WHAT IS PANOPTICISM AND HOW IS IT RELATED TO GOOGLE GLASS? By Executive summary Panopticism is a vice that is observed to have begun back towards the end of the seventeenth century. There were measures that were put, on an order that was published, to be followed when a plague hit the town. In addition, during this time as according to Foucault was the birth of the prison. He termed the order of panopticism as such since the practice was going to put people to be under surveillance through that particular time in which it was to be carried out.

In his book Discipline and Punish, Foucault wrote about the measures taken back then that were like making people feel a little of oppressed. The first one was that there was strict spatial partitioning, then the inspection functions were carried out ceaselessly and that the surveillance was based on a system of permanent registration. He also constructs on Bentham’s conceptualization of the panopticon as he expounded upon the purpose of disciplinary mechanisms in such a prison and showed the work of discipline as a tool of power.

This paper, therefore, is going to talk briefly about panopticism and how it is related to Google Glass.Introduction Panopticism is yet again further explained by Foucault as the power that is not known. The operator of the tower that as centrally placed and suggesting that they have come and observed that anyone can be able to come and exercise in the central tower the functions of surveillance holds it. That being the case Foucault can gain a clear idea of practicing surveillance. The architecture hinted that this panoptic design could be in use for any population under observation and control, for example; prisoners, schoolchildren, medical patients, or workers.

To add to that, panopticism is related to Google Glass in a way, and that is what the paper wants to look at expound on. Google Glass has stirred many media attention ever since the parent company, which is Mountain View Company, announced the gadget in the start of the year 2013 that the device was available for developers to obtain. Google from then has been able to put promotions on ambitious media campaign with the main aim of convincing users of the benevolence of their new gadget. When this device can be made general amongst, the public people will be able to see how the relation with machines will be a closer one.

It is since people have been able to use mobile applications like connectivity, geo-localization, and immediate access to information. All these people have already had a taste of thanks to the manufacture of the smart phones (Foucault, 1995, pp 197- 199). With this technology, people will feel that they have a greater domain over reality. However, they can also become the instrument that subjects us. In the very end, the fact of being connected all the time converts us into a source for the emission of data (about the tastes of the person, acts and the ideas as well) that can be used for political or commercial ends.

In the end, this might end up leading to the restriction of the people’s individual liberties (Foucault, 1995, pp 197).Conclusion In conclusion, this shows how panopticism relates to Google Glass, as it shows how these two factors would be just operating under the same wavelength. Google Glass and pantheism, therefore, are related since all deal with the surveillance of the public or population. Reference Foucault, Michel Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison (NY: Vintage Books 1995) pp. 195-228