A free public talk at The Hive will examine the way our lives are being recorded, tracked, and analysed, from the moment we unlock our phones to the photos we share online; often without us realising it.
Dr Barbara Mitra
The free talk on surveillance society will be delivered by Dr Barbara Mitra, Principal Lecturer in Media & Film Studies at the University of Worcester, and takes place on Wednesday, April 1 (5pm-6pm).
“Surveillance is now part of everyday life, shaping how we behave and how we see each other,” she said. “I want people to be more conscious of what they share online and why, and how this participates in surveillance.”
The talk is part of a series of weekly talks and workshops by experts in the University’s Department of English, Media and Culture.
Dr Mitra will outline some of the key ideas and theories that help explain how surveillance has become embedded in everyday life.
“We self-monitor our behaviour all the time on social media, particularly how we present ourselves, what images we put up, whether we edit our photos,” said Dr Mitra. “But at the same time, social media and the internet gathers information about us. TV streaming services know what you’re streaming, gather that data and use it to tell you what you might want to watch next.”
She added: “It’s about power, and how we’re controlled, and how we sometimes control ourselves to fit in. Even subconsciously, people know they’re being watched, and that awareness shapes how they behave.”
“We’re so used to it that we barely notice it anymore,” she said. “We hand over our data every day without thinking. When we click ‘accept cookies’ when we visit a website to browse or buy things, we rarely stop to think about it.”
Places are free but must be booked. Visit Worcestershire County Council what’s on webpages.