Today in class we discussed the idea of the Panopticon. The Panopticon is an architectural design in which there is a guard chamber surrounded by the prison cells. It is unknown whether there is actually a guard in the tower, but the paranoia around there being a guard in the chamber is enough to make the prisoners fall in line. I have learned about the idea in the past and the first thing that came to mind for me is the idea of Santa Claus. Children from an early age understand there to be a Santa Claus or a jolly old man who gives presents to good little boys and girls. The reason I thought of Santa is because when I was little my mom and dad would remind me throughout the year that Santa is always watching and marking down whether I was a good little girl or not. As a child, I believed that Santa always had eyes on me even if I couldn’t necessarily understand or see how. I was told he was watching and believed it. This is similar to the Panopticon because Santa is like the guard who may or may not be there. By being told you are being watched and that your Christmas presents are on the line for if you are good or not instils a paranoia in one’s self. This paranoia then encourages children to “fall in line” or to act a certain way because they will then be rewarded with presents. Children then act as if they are being watched all the time even if they are not because they are so paranoid that they are being watched. I thought this was an interesting example of the panopticon at work in young children’s lives. I had never really thought about Santa being compared to a prison guard before but it is true that children like the prisoners always believe they are being watched and act a certain way whether they see the guard or Santa in real life.
AGA, I love your example of Santa Claus! I have also learned about the idea of the Panopticon in a past psychology class and have always been fascinated by it. Paranoia is incredibly powerful and can certainly be used as a form of control. I never thought about the idea of Santa as a means of control or, like you mentioned, compared him to a prison guard, but after reading your post I see the connection. Telling children that there is someone watching them at all times to determine if they are being good or bad is very influential, especially when you bring in the incentive of presents versus coal. I think this example is very interesting because even if the children did not necessarily fully believe in Santa Claus or that he can always be watching, they didn't want to take the risk. Like the Panopticon, prisoners don't know if the guard is present, but do not want to take the chance so they behave. This also reminds me of stores that have the “smile, you're on camera” signs. Even if a store does not have a camera, it can still put up that sign and decrease the chances of stealing. Again, paranoia is very powerful and can keep people in line. People’s minds tend to stray to the worst case scenario, so most air on the side of caution. I am not sure what this means in terms as our society as a whole. Do examples like these mean that we can be easily manipulated? Maybe it means that we tend to obey those in power (e.g. parents telling us there is Santa Claus and stores telling us there are cameras). If so, is it a good thing that we obey? I think these questions are worth diving deeper into.
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