“Where you think no one sees you – do what you want!” : Nineteen Eighty-Four and Upper Secondary School Students’ Perception of Surveillance

Abstract: The purpose of this essay is to juxtapose students’ perceptions of surveillance to the surveillance portrayed in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. By using Michel Foucault’s expansion of Jeremy Bentham’s discussion of the Panopticon, this essay shows that upper secondary school students modify their behaviour, like the characters in the novel, when they are under surveillance. Furthermore, this essay argues that even though there have been vast developments in the field of surveillance since the publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four, similar notions of concern regarding the impact of surveillance on the human psyche are still upheld by students. This essay expands upon current research which points to desensitization regarding the impact of surveillance on younger generations and a gap between current knowledge and necessary knowledge for an informed opinion. By juxtaposing students’ perceptions of surveillance and that portrayed in Nineteen Eighty-Four, this essay provides insights into why this topic could be dealt with in the EFL-classroom as a means of providing students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge on social issues and cultural features which could make them more aware of the cultural impact of constant surveillance.