Big Brother is watching

“Big Brother” is watching us. But he is not alone. In fact, everyone is watching everyone.

Web cams, “red-light” cameras, traffic monitoring cameras, mini-recorders, electronic entry devices, cell phones, camera phones, video phones, police video cams… everywhere we go, everywhere we are there are people seen and unseen, who are viewing and recording our every move.

My daughter received a speeding ticket from a red-light camera that snapped a picture of her license plate as she sped through a Cleveland intersection at 4 miles per hour over the limit. The President is recorded by an unseen microphone as he holds a private conversation and his private statements become headline news. Your mug is recorded at the ATM as you make a withdrawal from your own bank account. (don’t pick your nose while waiting). The gaming tables in Vegas are viewed by the “eye in the sky”. Department stores have monitored their aisles by video for years. Caller ID tells us who is calling before we answer the phone. Parks, intersections, bridges, buildings & sidewalks are being monitored by web cams. If you are stopped by a police officer for a traffic violation ( or worse ) there is a better chance than not, that you are being video taped. And as if all of this isn’t enough; anyone with an up to date cell phone can record your actions on video and post them to the web before you even finish whatever it is you shouldn’t be doing!

Recently, former “Seinfeld” star; Michael Richards learned this lesson when he was captured by multiple cell phone videographers as he railed against a heckler at a California comedy club. Within hours this very disturbing video made it to the web and was viewed by millions thereby marring his reputation possibly beyond repair.

Could technology become society’s behavioral monitor? Perhaps the realization that “Big Brother” along with every other brother and sister ARE watching will impact our behavior as individuals.

I’m not sure if this is good or not.