Thoughts on Control: Hegemony and Choice in the Digital Age

Thoughts on Control: Hegemony and Choice in the Digital Age

Humanity, as a whole, desires to rise above oppression and embrace principles of liberty that enable them to have freedom of expression.  In today’s digital world, there are many companies that appear to be vying for control of the information presented on the Internet and also the means by which to access this material. The control manifested by these corporate giants is sometimes assumed to seep into the lives of individual consumers and strip them of their ability to choose what kind of media they consume and create. The mode by which these corporations seem to control consumers is by creating ideological hegemonies as opposed to using coercive means. Although many believe that the world of digital media is being controlled by these hegemonic systems created by companies such as Google, Facebook, and Apple, this control is mostly imagined because consumers of digital media are able choose which media they consume and create freely.

In George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984, the subject of governmental control and the perpetuation of a coercive and ideological hegemonic system are examined using the totalitarian regime of the Party with "Big Brother" at its head. Orwell plays with different theories of how totalitarian regimes control their subjects: through mass presence, control of the media, social interaction, and ideological brainwashing. These ideas apply to any type of ideological or coercive hegemony and are applicable to our digital world today. Massive companies such as Google, Facebook, and Apple are accused to use similar means of control as described in Orwell's book to influence a society of consumers to place trust in their products.

Even with these supposed controls placed on consumers, this does not mean that these companies actually control individuals. While I was reading through 1984, I was impressed by the main protagonist’s resistance to the Party’s ideological controls, such as the Two Minutes Hate and other propaganda of the Party, through his act of keeping a journal (Orwell 14). In the story, Winston purchases an illegal journal and begins to record his thoughts and feelings about his life and the negative influence of the Party. In reaction to the Party’s mode of oppression, Winston pens repeatedly the phrase, “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” (Orwell 19). In this act of creation, Winston reveals that he is not completely controlled by the domineering eye of Big Brother. The whole of act of journal writing in the novel represents humanities ability to have freedom of will no matter what modes of hegemony are used to control them. Not only does this form of creativity allow Winston to not be controlled, it gives him a voice to call known and unknown others to embrace their unalienable freedom of choice. Winston writes to these others by saying:

To the future or the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone—to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone: From the age of uniformity, from the age of solitude, from the age of Big Brother, from the age of double think—greetings!  (Orwell 26-27)

This statement is a symbol of how hegemony, both ideological and coercive, can be resisted and an individuals freedom be maintained.

Fiction is not the only realm where writing has been symbolic of resistance to hegemony. While in prison, Antonio Gramsci wrote volumes of criticism against the fascist regime of Mussolini through the guise of literary and cultural criticism. Just like Winston, Gramsci was able to maintain his impregnable freedom of will and thought until his death in 1937 after 11 years in prison (Burke). Gramsci’s criticism presented in his Prison Notebooks contains theories of hegemony describing how hegemonies can be enforced through two distinct ways: coercive means, usually by the “political society,” or “spontaneous” consent given by the masses in reaction to the ideology of the “dominant fundamental group” (Gramsci 145). Forms of this second kind of hegemony, or ideological hegemony, are being employed by the mega-technology companies of today to convince people to use their products. Examining the methods of the Party in Orwell’s novel in comparison to the methods employed by companies will help explicate this form of hegemony used by these companies, and also help reveal why these methods do not actually control individuals.  

In 1984, one method used by the Party’s hegemonic system to keep party members in line is through the use of mass presence. In the book, every Party member’s home has a piece of technology known as a telescreen. These screens provide a way for Party members to constantly be fed propaganda by the Party and also constantly be observed. This constant observation keeps the subjugated citizens of Airstrip One mostly in submission to the decrees of the government.
Winston, the protagonist, only finds ways to rise against the hegemonic system by being able to get away from the all-seeing eye of Big Brother. He does this by finding places that are out of sight of the telescreen, such as the small alcove in his room where he writes in his journal (Orwell 9) or the room he rents above the prole’s shop where he rendezvous with Julia for their sexual escapades (113-116).

This idea of control by constant observation, or presence, translates to the digital world. Google, by amassing rights to be the default search engine on many Internet browsers, has been able to create a vast presence on the Web that has even led to the addition of "google" as a verb in the dictionary (Merriam Webster Online). Tim Wu, in a webinar about his book, The Master Switch, explained that the reason people use Google so much is because of this presence. Google being accessible almost everywhere makes it convenient to use and logically people would ask themselves, “Why not use Google” (Wu Webinar). Though this convenience makes it seem that Google is monopolizing the market as an Internet browser, their overwhelming presence does not mean they directly control which mode of consumption consumers use. The existence of competition between other search engines such as Yahoo and MSN with Google adds evidence that convenience does not equate to control (SEJ). Google may remain as one of the top grossing Internet companies, but that does not show it controls individuals ability to create and branch out from Google because there are no restrictions to the contrary.  

The hegemony of 1984 is also continued by the Party's ability to modify the past and control the information that is consumed by individuals. Winston describes this constant flux of truth by using the Newspeak word "doublethink," which means, according to Winston, “[t]o know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them…” (Orwell 23). The idea of changing or controlling what information people are privy to is part of the reality of the digital world. Google, for example, has certain algorithms that modify searches to personalize them for each of their individual customers based on their search history and perceived interests (Levy). This in effect censors the kind of information you are able to view when surfing the Internet. Though this algorithm can in theory limit the kinds of search results given according to individual’s preferences, Google does not have the ability to control how this information is used by each consumer. Google is unable to dominate the potential for creation of individuals who use its product, and therefore the company does not maintain complete control.

Another aspect of control that is part of the hegemony in Orwell’s book is the Party’s attempt to control individuals through social interaction. As a way to imprint their ideology on party members, the Party organized certain club organizations for youth, like the Spies. The Spies organization was specifically organized to instill principles of loyalty to the Party in youth by teaching them how to recognize potential dissension from party policies by others. They Spies were even known to turn their own parents into the Thought Police for crimes against Big Brother (Orwell 24). These clubs went on group hikes and other communal activities to create bonds of familiarity with its members that would grow into a feeling of being part of something greater than each individual alone. This social interaction breeds brotherhood that not only bonds the Spies together, but also binds them in commitment to following the party. This social interaction used by the Party is also a method that is used to invite consumers to willingly consent to use a product.

In the digital world, Facebook embodies a company that has used social interaction as one of their products and also as a way to promote their product. Facebook is a social networking site that allows individuals to create individualized profiles and share information with friends for free. This product was made popular because of the ability to easily connect with those that you know and communicate with them freely about almost anything. The popularity of Michael Zuckerberg’s product was bred on the “club” mentality as described with the Spies previously. This mode to establish ideological hegemony has appeared to be successful and has brought millions of users under the umbrella of Facebook, but that does not mean that Facebook is able to control these consumers’ decisions. Facebook’s lack of control has recently been revealed with the company’s decision to go public.

Some argue that the establishment of hegemonic systems is a potential reality because of the ignorance and consumerist nature of individuals. Alan Kirby..;As consumers interact with literature on the internet, they are able to create meaning for themselves from their intimate relationship with material. Kirby argues that this will make individuals ignorant and cause them to conform. In light of these thoughts, I would add that this ignorance and conformist mentality can be used by companies to control individuals in a hegemonic system. By using different forms of advertisement and creating different portals to create interactive content or pleasurable online experiences, companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple are enabled to influence users and steer them in the direction they see best.

My ideas have been greatly influenced by the posts of Jonathan Erdman and his blog, the Theos Project. We have been able to have many discussions explaining our concerns with the control that different companies have over peoples' lives and the possibilities of too much power being exercised by these mega-technology companies. We feel that it is necessary that consumers not be ignorant and take a stake in protecting themselves from being constantly controlled by being aware of these companies influences.

By the end of 1984, Winston has been completely brainwashed and pronounces that he loves "Big Brother." His ideas become twisted because of the forceful means used to curb his creativity and free thought. He is controlled by the different means employed in hegemonic systems. Today, the digital world is controlled by companies that seemingly control our lives without our complaint. We sometimes ignorantly consume products, both hardware and software, and are joyed because easy access to the great World Wide Web of information floating in the ether that is at our finger tips. Sadly, if we are not careful, we may be dragged into a world where information and accessibility to the great information and social interaction on the Web could bring us into a compliant subjection to the whims of companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple. People need to be aware of themselves on the Web and need to be protected from these possible hegemonic systems. Being able to be informed about the attitudes of these companies will help get us out of this ignorant, conformist mindset and not perpetuate a possible dystopia as described in 1984.