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The document discusses the prevalence of Neo-Orwellianism in modern society, drawing parallels between George Orwell's 1984 and current issues. It argues that biased and misleading information in the media shapes public views and causes political polarization, as people tend to consume news sources that confirm their existing beliefs. This leads to a lack of unity and understanding between groups with opposing views. Additionally, the pursuit of approval on social media spreads fake news and misinformation similar to the totalitarian manipulation of information in 1984. Overall, the unchecked spread of biased and false information online and in the media has created a neo-Orwellian dystopian environment of its own.

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64 views

Untitled Document

The document discusses the prevalence of Neo-Orwellianism in modern society, drawing parallels between George Orwell's 1984 and current issues. It argues that biased and misleading information in the media shapes public views and causes political polarization, as people tend to consume news sources that confirm their existing beliefs. This leads to a lack of unity and understanding between groups with opposing views. Additionally, the pursuit of approval on social media spreads fake news and misinformation similar to the totalitarian manipulation of information in 1984. Overall, the unchecked spread of biased and false information online and in the media has created a neo-Orwellian dystopian environment of its own.

Uploaded by

api-441782457
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Prevalence of Neo-Orwellianism

According to Merriam-Webster, Orwellian is a term "relating to or suggestive of the

dystopian reality depicted in the novel 1984." Through George Orwell's use of crafting a

dystopian society, he shares his beliefs by warning his audience about the effects and dangers of

living in a totalitarian form of government. The issues mentioned in Orwell's books mainly

connect to those presented in society today. Unquestionably, the prevalence of media usage in

society shares many similarities surrounding the elements of Neo-Orwellianism. The component

of false information and misleading content in the media vastly shapes views and perspectives.

Manipulation plays a large role in the issue of spreading fake news. Using persuasive techniques

like pathos, ethos, and logos influences media users to change their beliefs to comply with

standards. Public or dominant opinions in a society strongly affect those who have different

views, which leads to division. In 1984, Winston struggled in conforming to social standards and

blindly believing in everything the party says without reason; as a result, Winston's fear of dying

soon became a reality. Similarly, with this 2020 election, the two main parties --Democrats and

Republicans-- were susceptible to believe in anything their candidate or party said by using the

media as their central source of information. Additionally, new programs demonstrated how the

media is remarkably biased. In a report published by Pew Research Center, Elizabeth Grieco

explained how the sources for political news varied among different political parties. A graph in

the article revealed that 93% of Republicans and 6% of democrats watch fox new. Large interest

groups are usually exposed to information that doesn't oppose their beliefs, which demonstrates

how media programs like the news are biased to please their audience. When individuals aren't

exposed to new information that goes against their beliefs, people in society develop a sense of

narrow mindedness, which produces political polarization. Unfortunately, the issue of political
polarization destroys unity, influences violence, and leads to labeling groups scapegoats. For

instance, Republicans seemingly blame the far left for all the looting that takes place in some

protests. These political beliefs and political issues are why movements such as Blue Lives

Matter is put into place to suppress the supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement. In

efforts to gain the approval of the public, social media users post misleading content, which leads

to fake news.

In conclusion, Neo-Orwellianism is present in society. As people become more

dependent on technology, using social media as a central source of information hugely increases.

The Orwellian element of misinformation in 1984 symbolizes the prevalent issue of people

believing everything they see in the media. When groups develop beliefs and opinions, conflicts

between people with opposing views arise. This situation destroys unity in America and

threatens those who don't believe in the social norm. With that said, the conflict of biases and

misinformation in society creates a dystopian environment that George Orwell describes.

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