Who's Watching the Watchers?


 

Publication Date: January 2000

Publisher: National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership

Author(s): Shari Cohen

Research Area: Culture and religion; Media, telecommunications, and information

Keywords: Values; Television; Technology; Culture

Type: Other

Abstract:

The author discusses the phenomenon of reality television, specifically the show 'Big Brother,' which boasts a level of surveillance that would have been the envy of the Soviet Union. She considers how the reality TV trend relates to anxiety about privacy, in light of technological developments that allow both corporations and the government unprecedented information about individuals' lives.