Every click, swipe, and post = $$$ for social media companies The 2020 film The Social Dilemma was not overexaggerating when they said if we are not paying for a product, then we are the product. Like the average 12-year-old in 2019, I begged my parents for a phone. I wanted to download Snapchat, Instagram, […]
Introducing another form of capitalism: surveillance capitalism Read More »
When surveillance shapes behaviour, we live in Hell We live in a world of cameras and cookies. Everywhere we go, everything we do, want, or think, is tracked. Most of the time, this is to maximise the effectiveness of marketing tactics that push us towards buying the latest unneeded thing. Yet, whether or not we
“L’enfer, c’est les autres” Read More »
From Orwellian fears to a participatory willingness, we have fallen in love with being watched George Orwell’s book, 1984, ends with its protagonist’s submission to the monolithic forces of the surveillance state. It concludes, in chilling simplicity, with Winston’s admission that “he loved Big Brother.” Reading as a middle schooler with no social media other
We love Big Brother Read More »
Candid street shots meet the eerie gaze of AI Perhaps you’ve seen street photography, a subgenre of photography encompassing a wide variety of even smaller subgenres. Perhaps you’ve seen black and white pictures of people arguing outside a subway station, photographs from protests or pride events worldwide, or from the recent flood of street portraiture—bland,
The modern horror of street photography Read More »
Foolproof ways to stay secure online In our modern digital age, fears about our lack of privacy online have grown. It can all feel overwhelming and leave you with a bunch of questions: Is Google keeping track of and profiting off of your search history? Is the FBI agent tracking you really concerned that you
Beating the Internet Read More »
The man, the myth, the legend: The Peepeepoopoo Man It was five years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was just a little baby undergrad—a 21-year-old child, really—and little did I know, I was about to get sucked into a whirlwind of shit. I was working as a TA for MAT137,
The Stench of Crime Read More »
How queer surveillance has evolved from the Cold War to the Digital Age If you’ve ever studied the Cold War in a history class, chances are that you’ve heard of either the Red Scare or McCarthyism. These two campaigns targeted (perceived) communists, but there was a third parallel operation that you might not have heard
From The Fruit Machine to Facial Recognition Read More »
Navigating privacy and accountability in this digital age In its early days, social media was a simpler platform—a place to connect with friends, share photos, and post updates without much concern for data privacy. User interactions were driven by personal connections rather than algorithms and there was little sense of the digital footprint left behind.
Should Canada be doing more to protect our data? Read More »
A snippet into The Strand’s interview with President McEwen on recent Vic and student affairs. Why do you think Victoria College finds it so difficult in maintaining a supportive environment, and what steps has it taken create a supportive environment for students? Mental health is a challenge not specific to UofT. The Canadian health care
President McEwen on Mental Health, Fossil Fuel Divestment and other topics. Read More »
The Duality of Attitudes and Portrayals of Surveillance in Media and Art When we think of fictitious depictions of surveillance on the silver screen or spy chases in between the pages of a novel, normally one of two visuals come to mind: a calm, cool spy wearing a tuxedo with a passion for law and
Oh, How The Plot Thickens Read More »
