'Somebody's Watching You'

Media Magazine - April 2015

Through the article 'Somebody's Watching You' the media's intention to create Moral Panic, Cohen, to convey the importance of a story evident through the immediate warning about webcam safety. This is reiterated through the new story in Philadelphia 2010, regarding the discovery of schools using the webcams on the laptops to watch the pupils. This immediately creates a sense of validity to the upcoming article whilst influencing an audience group toward being cautious when consuming media and technology. Following this, the article establishes the ways individuals have several 'spaces' - personal i.e. bedrooms and online i.e. social media, where they are able to present the way in which they want to be seen. This relates to the ideology of 'Life Spheres' which entail family, friends, school, work and are describes as the ways in which we live our lives. Psychologist Erving Griffin suggests that humans are all actors and act depending on the situation and environment they are placed in. Thereby, we act in a particular way to suit to place where we are i.e. school students abide by the rules set by their teachers. Furthermore, in terms of Government Surveillance, the article outlines the possibilities regarding how safe your internet use with who is able to monitor your findings and searches.  This is defended by Government agencies explaining that surveillance is a way to ensure that possible terrorists are monitored and stopped before any detrimental acts take place. To finalise, in my opinion, the tracking of ones activities on-line thus maintains the hierarchy in regards to power ensuring that a status quo is sustained.