1. In Oceania, citizens lack privacy, have little control over their daily lives, and learn only the information that the Party chooses to tell them. Today, by contrast, information flows freely through many forms of media. People can look up any topic at any time and read about it. Through various social network sites and through phone and text messages, people have never been so connected. However, the power of media can work against people as well as for them. Consider these points:
• Is all information true and accurate, or do some sources obscure truth and mislead readers?
• What are the potential abuses of constant connectedness?
• How might the screens, large and small, that surround us be used against us?
• Under what circumstances might our “information society” fall into the hands of a powerful but ill-intentioned group of leaders?
Discuss the abuses of information and privacy in 1984 and the possibility of such abuses occurring today. Use information from the novel to support your ideas.