The term surveillance refers to the notion of “watching over”. With this brief definition, surveillance is applicable to a number of ideas. It may entail aspects of privacy invasion, data collection, protection, monitoring, or even controlling. The reading touches heavily on the power dynamic between those being watched and those watching. People, governmental organizations, technology, and media use surveillance for different purposes, and ultimately once this ability to surveil is accessible, that people essentially has gained some for of power. This specific keyword reminded me a lot of the film How Not To Be Seen by Hito Steyerl. This short film depicts, “the politics of visibility and the means for opting out of being represented in the digital age”. This film connects to the term “the surveillance society” which depicts that surveillance contemporaneously with the spread of media and technology. I personally feel that surveillance has its benefits (ie. data collection, security, motorization) but at the same time feel that there is a certain degree where surveillance will negatively impact our society. As surveillance infrastructure enhances, so does the amount of footage/data that is collected. My fear is that eventually, it will be virtually impossible not to be “seen” by others whether it be through the naked eye or the lens of technology.
Link to Hito Steyerl’s film: https://www.artforum.com/video/hito-steyerl-how-not-to-be-seen-a-fucking-didactic-educational-mov-file-2013-51651