"Panopticontent" is a concept that merges "panopticon," a surveillance structure where inmates are always potentially being watched, with "content," referring to the constant recording and sharing of people's actions on social media. The author shares a personal story from 2014 when a photo with Kate Middleton went mildly viral in traditional media, contrasting it with today's social media environment where such events can lead to widespread, invasive scrutiny.
A viral TikTok incident is highlighted where two women mocked a TikToker, resulting in severe consequences for the women, including doxxing and harassment. This exemplifies the extreme repercussions of "panopticontent," where people become unwilling main characters in viral content. The author urges readers to consider the ethical implications of this trend and to reflect on whether those captured in such content have consented to being recorded and shared.
Discussion (2)
It’s pretty sad that people can get known for things completely out of their control. I think about the Hawk Tuah girl, which she seems to be embracing, but could of totally been a disaster do she didn’t want to be know for that sort of thing
There are tons of cases where someone is meme-ified as kids and become sensationalized / ridiculed as a result. As we have seen from child actors, it’s dangerous for kids to receive insane amounts of attention. And worse in this case, they didn’t even ask for it.