the social panopticon
the panopticon is a conceptual architectural design for a prison, proposed by philosopher jeremy bentham in the late 18th century. its structure allows a single guard, positioned in a central tower, to observe all inmates in surrounding cells without them knowing whether they are being watched at any given moment. this creates a sense of constant surveillance, encouraging self-regulation among prisoners.
i’ve been thinking about how this concept applies to social media, with some nuance of course. and i propose a slight variation, a social panopticon, where we are both the guard and the prisoner. in this new model, i am surveilled by the people i surveille, scrolling endlessly through curated windows of the people who themselves watch me. and even as i accumulate followers, the reality is that only a small fraction truly care about what i post. the power dynamic here is complex: i am both a watcher and the watched, constantly oscillating between roles.
what gives the social panopticon it’s power is the motivation i have to stay within it’s confines. the act of posting is inherently externally motivated. i don’t post for myself (if i wanted to enjoy a photo, i could simply open my camera roll). posting is about being seen, about eliciting reactions, about participating in the silent agreement that governs social media: i show you a curated version of me, and you engage, even if fleetingly. social media turns us into both performers and spectators, perpetually aware of how we appear to others while scrutinizing their performances in return. my condiment in the social panopticon lies in my participation in it.
this brings me to a film that has stayed with me for years: cléo from 5 to 7. directed by agnès varda in 1962, this french new wave classic follows cléo, a young and glamorous singer in paris, over the course of two hours as she waits for the results of a medical test for cancer. on the surface, the film is about her anxiety and the passage of time, but underneath, it’s an exploration of perception.
the driving undertone of the film is the idea “how do i look?” the early parts of the film focus on cléo’s obsession with her appearance. she wears stunning outfits, carefully applies her makeup, and carries herself with an air of self-awareness, fully obsessed with how the world is watching her. she strolls through the streets of paris, an object of attention for strangers, friends, and even herself.
as the film progresses, the focus shifts to how cléo looks at the world, turning into an introspective meditation on the forces that shape her perception of the spaces she interacts with. the narrative becomes less about how others perceive her and more about how she perceives the world around her. she starts noticing the small, intimate details of life: the expressions of people she encounters, the sounds of the city, the rhythm of her own existence. this shift from external validation to introspection is profound and offers a counterpoint to the pervasive surveillance of social media. it suggests a way out of the panopticon, an alternative to living solely for the gaze of others.
yet, this is easier said than done. social media is designed to keep us locked in the panopticon, endlessly scrolling and posting, always aware of who is watching. i’m obsessed with scrolling through my timeline, looking at the curated lives of both my friends and celebrities. the celebrities are particularly fascinating, as they live for their audience, meticulously constructing their brand, yet they know nothing of your existence. it’s a one-way gaze, but one we all voluntarily participate in. at the same time, i’m hyper-aware of how i present myself to my followers. my photos are edited and filtered. i wear my best outfits, edit my professionally shot photos, and spend time crafting captions that feel effortless but are anything but. every post is a deliberate attempt to shape how others perceive me. and with every like i receive, every comment, i feel a brief flicker of validation, extending my stay in the social panopticon.
the relationship between social media and surveillance is inherently contradictory. i am both empowered and entrapped. as the watcher, i have access to the lives of others, consuming their curated images and stories. as the prisoner, i am constantly performing, aware that i am being watched, even if the watchers are indifferent or inattentive. ultimately, the question i keep returning to is: why do we do this? why do we subject ourselves to this constant surveillance, this never-ending need for validation? perhaps the answer lies in the very structure of social media, which thrives on our desire to connect, to be seen, to matter. it’s not inherently bad, there’s beauty in sharing, in finding community, in being part of something larger than ourselves. but there’s also a cost. and maybe, like cléo, we need to find moments where we stop asking, “how do i look?” and start asking, “what do i see?”