Nest Cam Show and Tell

What happens when we aren't looking? I think it's a question that we've all asked at one point or another. On Tuesday, I gave my show and tell on a piece of technology, Dropcam's Nest Cam. The Nest Cam is an indoor security camera that records the happenings of one's house. Nest Cam first debuted in 2014 and has released products that basically control your house when you are not home. Dropcam was subsequently bought by Google and has been operating ever since. It connects to an app which allows you to view your home as well as play back up to 30 days of footage. I wanted to bring this up for show and tell because I felt it related closely to class in relation to The Circle as well as Panopticism.

In The Circle, Mae gives up her personal freedom in a way by subjecting herself to wearing a webcam at all time. While this may not be the idea of the Nest Cam, a security camera at heart, there is an important connection to make when it comes to technologically aware societies. Much like Mae's experiment, the Nest Cam records everything and even lets you experience it back again. Its this idea of knowledge, and having that information that makes us feel safer and more secure. This is a reflection of Bailey's thought "knowing everything is better," but as the book tries to out to us knowing everything may not be better. Knowledge is a powerful tool, often times life-saving, but at what cost does this knowledge make us stupider.

On the idea of continuous surveillance, it relates closely to Panopticism. Panopticism is this idea of continuous surveillance or the illusion of continuous surveillance. This continued watching would then lead the subjects to behave in their most proper way. Nest Cam is essentially modern day Panopticism. Having a camera that records everything is essentially the central tower Foucault describes, while the cells surrounding that tower is essentially one's home. Inhabitants of that home are more likely to behave accordingly in fear of the thought of being caught. It puts the "watcher" in control.

I'm not trying to paint the Nest Cam badly or calling for a systematic witch hunt of every Dropcam product. In fact, I believe products like Nest Cam are a brilliant idea and do have a place in society. But its interesting to look at how our society is developing and our crave to have everyhting under control. Who knows maybe one day we will be living in The Circle.

Nest Cam Link: https://nest.com/camera/meet-nest-cam/