DBA123, Foucault

“The panoptic mechanism arranges spatial unities that make it possible to see constantly and to recognize immediately. In short, it reverses the principle of the dungeon; or rather of its three functions- to enclose, to deprive light and to hide- it preserves only the first and eliminates the other two. Full lighting and the eye of a supervisor capture better than darkness, which ultimately protected. Visibility is a trap.” 97
Although I found Foucault’s reading to be rather difficult, this particular quote stood out to me. When it is referred to the rest of the context on the article, which discusses ideas such as discipline, surveillance, and power relations, I found that the panoptic mechanism is the ultimate invasion of privacy. In today’s times we are fortunate enough to have the use of the internet, cell phones, and GPS systems. Poster makes many arguments saying how technology is beginning to define us, whereas I do not believe Foucault is saying the same thing, all of these items can help those in charge, the ones who hold all the power, keep tabs on the public. Most of these items keep us in contact with other important people in our lives. Take for example a facebook account; we are knowingly putting our information out there. We are shedding light on our lives, making ourselves more visible in the public eye. Most of us look as these technologies as a way of keeping in touch with those we do not see on a day to day basis, but what if we turned it around and looked at it as a panoptic mechanism. We are ultimately trapping ourselves. We are allowing “the eye of a supervisor” or a future employer, a mother, almost anyone have access to us. We are making ourselves constantly visible. Although we are not necessarily “enclosing” ourselves, we are significantly decreasing our privacy.