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Huxley’s vision was of a populace subdued by its addiction to soma, the pharmacological metaphor for circenses (Roman circus / modern-day entertainment).
Orwell’s vision was of a populace tamed by ubiquitous surveillance (the panopticon) and state violence.
I wonder if the developed world is observing a convergence of both.
Digital technology is, in an ironic etymological twist, providing endless entertainment at our fingertips. Its perverse effects to mental health, especially in future citizens (kids, teenagers), are now well documented.
Separately, Snowden et al. have paid a heavy price to reveal that the panopticon is a reality, and the ratchet effect means there is no going back.
We’re missing the state violence element, but we witness the signs of a violent polarization of the political identities, even if (I agree with @mazmhussain) I don’t expect the type of civil conflict that Twitter pundits seem to fantasize about. And entertainment itself is laced with that same violent substance 9 replies
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