One of the most disturbing things for me about George Orwell’s 1984, either in book form or film, is the image of having most of an entire wall covered by a huge television and in the case of the world of 1984, a television you can’t turn off. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it watched you as well.
Lord, but that’s a bloody scary thought. And today I learned that LG is going to debut an 84 inch Television at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month. Complete with all it’s Smart TV, voice recognition, gestures and passive 3D capabilities.
Holy boob tube, Batman! That’s over 7 feet of television hanging on your…well..wall. Hell, I’d have to add an addition onto my living room just to fit the thing in there. But then again, why would I want to do that? Why would anyone in their right mind want a huge TV hanging on their wall?
Oh, wait. They already do. Just not 84 inches of it…
…not yet…
…but they will.
I wonder what Orwell would have added to his classic novel of a not-so-bright future if he had known about the Internet and the ever present World Wide Web as well as the television? What if he had been born later and his classic novel was titled “2014″ instead of 1984? A world of desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks, net books, tablets and smart phones not to mention 55, 72 and now 84 inch television screens? Would the people of his theorized version of 2014 be required not only to have their massive television turned on ’round the clock with no break but to always be online as well?
Think about it. Every type of personal computer, from desktops to smart phones would always have to be online. They would have cameras embedded in them so “they” could watch you and microphones so “they” could hear you and Geo-location devices built in so the “they” would always know where you are. They would always know because you were required to carry one of those portable devices with you at all times.
But they know you do anyway.
…watch TV–stay online–watch TV–stay online–watch TV…
Think about it. A whole wall of television, hooked to cable, hooked to satellite, hooked to the Internet. It has microphones and a camera and a computer. It probably knows the address of the home it’s installed in. After all, you probably bought it with a credit card–didn’t you? But it probably knows just because it’s programmed to know. How can you be sure?
Are you watching?
I’m well aware that they are watching my every move. That’s why I do all the naughty stuff during the ad breaks.
Smart TV? Don’t worry too much Kirk. IMHO they have a long way to go. This based on my experience with my new blu ray disc player from LG with so-called “Smart TV…” (It got returned – didn’t live up to the hype. Not even a little bit!)
That said, there are some serious changes in sight. I take your point. George Orwell would too… Grandad has seen the writing on the wall too. He’s smart to save the naughty stuff for during the ads.
I think Kirk may be right. It looks like they have taken him away?
Grandad & Denise – Ha! Got ya’ both! And I bet you thought I was watching TV. Okay, I was. But just a DVD don’t you know as I don’t have cable or anything of that nature. And the TV was built in 1981 so it’s dumb as a rock…or at least it’s heavy as one–a big one.
And Grandad. On your first comment: Good on ya’! Denise, glad you agree.