You’re right. People say “1984” to mean “dystopia” or “things I don’t like about modern society”.
Tangentially related, there was a survey a while back that found most people who say they have read 1984 haven’t actually read it. So that may be part of it.
Personally, if we’re going with the classic dystopian novels, I think we’re more aligned with:
The anti-intellectualism/distraction from the real issues like we see in Fahrenheit 451. Arguably we have already started the book-burning. (Tbf, there’s also practically no pre-big brother material in 1984, so clearly they went down the same route, although Orwell didn’t go into that as deeply as Bradbury)
Keeping people docile with an endless stream of entertainment content and consumerism like in Brave New World.
…than we are with the “Oppression through fear and brainwashing from an all-powerful, all-seeing government” that we see in 1984.
But even then there are significant differences. E.g. unlike in Brave New World, there’s no government-provided Soma drug to further placate us. Well, not unless you believe the chemtrail conspiracy theories lol
You’re right. People say “1984” to mean “dystopia” or “things I don’t like about modern society”.
Tangentially related, there was a survey a while back that found most people who say they have read 1984 haven’t actually read it. So that may be part of it.
Personally, if we’re going with the classic dystopian novels, I think we’re more aligned with:
The anti-intellectualism/distraction from the real issues like we see in Fahrenheit 451. Arguably we have already started the book-burning. (Tbf, there’s also practically no pre-big brother material in 1984, so clearly they went down the same route, although Orwell didn’t go into that as deeply as Bradbury)
Keeping people docile with an endless stream of entertainment content and consumerism like in Brave New World.
…than we are with the “Oppression through fear and brainwashing from an all-powerful, all-seeing government” that we see in 1984.
But even then there are significant differences. E.g. unlike in Brave New World, there’s no government-provided Soma drug to further placate us. Well, not unless you believe the chemtrail conspiracy theories lol