Society of the Spectacle

Published in 1967 by French author Marxist theorist and writer, Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle is a work of philosophy, which features 221 short theses, divided into 9 chapters. The society of the spectacle is basically series of thesis that focus on the idea that everyday life is now has been replaced with “representation”, meaning the constant uses of media. Our society is engulfing in the rapid rise of technology to the point where we are lost in the media, therefore contributing to the loss of human connection. Debord stated; “ All that has once directly lived has become a mere representation”, meaning that all human connection that once was attached to everyday life has been lost with our obsession with media based products and activities.

 “The spectacle presents itself as something enormously positive, indisputable and inaccessible. It says nothing more than "that which appears is good, that which is good appears. The attitude which it demands in principle is passive acceptance which in fact it already obtained by its manner of appearing without reply, by its monopoly of appearance”. 

This is how Debord describes the spectacle, something that present itself to the people as something we need or something we must have or we will not be as happy as we can be. It presents itself as something we must have to gain acceptance for society. The spectacle represents new technology and any new products that catches our eye.

This quote quotes from Deboard explain the notion of commodity in the spectacle. "The world of the commodity is thus shown for what it is, because its movement is identical to the estrangement of men among themselves and in relation to their global product.” Commodity relates to the goods we receive. As we gain more and more goods, i.e. money, we become obsessed with it and think of ways to make more. The more money we make, the more attached to it we become. As we become more attached to currency, we loss our attachment or connection for others.

Today, globalization is the term that accurately defines the connection of million of individual through the use of media, telecommunications and other aspects of culture. As globalization rises, human connections decreases. We have no need and also no desire to be physically connected with someone while we have to option to let our devices control the relationship for us. 

MIT Professor Sherry Turkle speaks on the rise of social media and human technology interaction.