Driving to work today, NPR was talking about science fiction movies and books that mention technology that is actually available and used today. Facial recognition is not only a reality, but it is very accurate. Iris recognition is not far away. Much like "Minority Report," we get personalized advertising online. Perhaps in our lifetime that will be available at malls and shopping centers. NPR mentioned that this technology could be very useful or it could become a nightmare. Here is the catch: the technology is not the nightmare: people's actions make it a nightmare. This means that all of our actions are being recorded and will follow us around. Companies are already constantly following people every time they use their cell phones and credit cards. Somewhere all of that data is being collected and stored.

In other words, we are constantly being monitored. This is a Dr. Jekyll nightmare. Much like life in the 19th century, people are constantly striving to be the best in their area. Especially in the United States where there is no royalty, awards and degrees set individuals apart. However, even if one is extremely accomplished professionally, they are still being monitored by credit card companies and can do no bad, or even risqué, at home. For the leaders of society or leaders of communities, they must be on their best behavior at all times, even in the safety and "privacy" of their own homes. This lack of privacy is enough to bring out the Mr. Hyde in anyone. This new technology is the nightmare of the 19th century: Queen Victoria's repressive society was harsh enough, even though people had more privacy at home. If they had this new technology back then, repression would have been unbearable.

However, in today's society, there is enough apathy where this technology should cause no disruption or uproar. If anything, people will think that it's new and exciting. In reality, this new technology is a violation of privacy and it can increase repression in our already repressed society.