Open AccessFacebook
Author(s) -
Zaynab Ali
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
contingent horizons
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2292-7514
pISSN - 2292-6739
DOI - 10.25071/2292-6739.94
Subject(s) - panopticon , miller , michel foucault , sociology , virtual world , jeremy bentham , internet privacy , media studies , cyberpsychology , popular culture , social media , world wide web , political science , computer science , law , politics , ecology , human–computer interaction , biology , brother , anthropology
Facebook keeps a keen eye on the inhabitants of the world by tracking users’ lives as they create profiles, connect with friends, and share pictures, videos, and statuses. Drawing from the work of Michel Foucault, Jeremy Bentham, David Miller, and Michael Welch, in this article I consider how Facebook exists in the world of technology as a modern day panopticon and argue that, by creating a platform on which users can instantly post and share their private lives with the public, Facebook blurs the lines between the private and public domains. Through a review of the workings and features of Facebook, I argue that the social network site is a virtual rendition of the penitentiary.