Cacophony and Control: Information Saturation As a Means of Regulation

This paper argues that information saturation functions as a novel mechanism of control, extending Foucault’s explanations of modern systems of disciline and power beyond surveillance. Formal institutions encourage self-regulation under the gaze of authority. If everyone is watching, no one needs to be. In contrast, information saturation controls through dilution. If everything is important, nothing is. Self-regulation meets self-abnegation. The panopticon remains a useful analytic and operational reality, yet represents a silent metaphor about being seen. A central concern for contemporary individuals and activists today is being heard. As activism reluctantly or willingly integrates into the attention economy, new challenges emerge. The overwhelming abundance of choices and content poses a significant threat, potentially diluting individuals' capacity for meaningful action or undermining long-term coalition building. Unlike earlier nonviolent movements, where sustained attention served a strategic function to bring decision-makers to the table, today’s hyper-connected environment quickly disperses attention, redirecting it elsewhere before meaningful outcomes can materialize. Decision-makers now count on that rapid dilution to justify non-action. Activists must now navigate both surveillance and cacophony, requiring new strategies to counter these overlapping forces of control. By bridging Foucauldian theory with contemporary digital realities, this research contributes to our understanding of power dynamics in the information age and offers insights for both scholars and practitioners in the field of digital activism.