Ender’s Game: The Monitoring of Humans

1. Ender’s Game: The Monitoring of Humans By: Katie Davidson

2. How People Are Monitored • Security cameras • Managers monitor the activities of their team • Machines that measure certain things in your body (eg: heart monitor)

3. How Ender is Monitored “I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears and I tell you he’s the one. Or at least as close as we’re going to get” (chapter 1, pg 1). • The International Fleet watched Ender through the monitor on the back of his neck • Ender goes to battle school and is still monitored by Anderson and Graff • He is isolated so that he can reach full potential to become a Commander to defeat the Buggars

4. Why People Are Monitored • The end goal of monitoring is to create a more humane world free from fear where people can develop their full potential • Governments can secretly monitor suspicious individuals • The government can track down and capture terrorists • Organized crime can be stopped • The government cannot move forward with monitoring unless the government’s case is reviewed by an independent court or committee

5. Why Ender is Monitored "Human beings are free except when humanity needs them. Maybe humanity needs you. To do something. Maybe humanity needs me—to find out what you're good for. We might both do despicable things, Ender, but if humankind survives, then we were good tools.“ • Ender is monitored because the I.F believes he has the potential to become Commander • Humanity needs Ender to defeat the Buggars, even if that requires him to make horrible sacrifices

6. Advantages Monitoring employees: • Employees want you to acknowledge their strengths and a monitoring system allows you to do so throughout each day Security cameras: • Crime deterrent • Prevent shoplifting • Reduced property damage • Protection Heart monitor for fitness: • Provides feedback on your progress • Helps control the intensity of the exercise program • Prevent overtraining

7. Advantages for Ender “They could say what they liked. They might even hit him now- no one could see them anymore, and so no one would come to Ender’s rescue. There were advantages to the monitor, and he would miss them” (Chapter 1, Pg 6). • The prevention of danger for Ender • He is protected and safe with the monitor • He can have a sense of security

8. Disadvantages Monitoring employees: • Immediately jumping on an employee about an error can cause them to become fearful of making a mistake, leading to slow production Security cameras: • People have their right to privacy • Raised crime in areas with no cameras • Expensive to buy cameras and pay experienced public defenders to watch them Heart monitor for fitness: • Inaccurate results • Expensive

9. Disadvantages for Ender "Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to fill the roles given you by good people, by people who love you." • He is isolated at Battle School • He is put through several difficult tasks just because the I.F believes this will help him to reach his full potential • The I.F finds his weaknesses and soft spots which force him to persevere even more • He is not in control of his own life

10. The “Hawthorne Effect” • Definition : The phenomenon in which subjects in behavioural studies change their performance in response to being observed • The Hawthorne experiments brought to light ideas concerning motivational influences, job satisfaction, resistance to change, worker participation and effective leadership Counseling in an Organization, Dec 6th, 1966

11. History • The experiments took place at Western Electric’s factory at Hawthorne, a suburb of Chicago in the late 1920’s-early 1930’s • Conducted under the supervision of Elton Mayo • Original purpose was to study the effects of physical conditions on productivity

12. Experiments • Two groups of workers were used as the guinea pigs • One day the lighting in the work area for group one was improved while the other groups lighting remained the same • The employees working conditions were changed in other ways as well (for example work hours and rest breaks)

13. Effects • The researchers discovered that the productivity of the more illuminated groups work space increased much more than the other group • In all other cases the workers productivity increased when the changes were made

14. $50 Million Lottery Ticket • A $50 million unclaimed lottery ticket was purchased last year in Cambridge • Investigators from OLG looked into nearly 450 cases • Video surveillance and footage and credit card statements were needed to identify Kathryn Jones

15. $50 Million Lottery Ticket • Investigators tracked her down and found the store security tape clearly showing that she purchased the ticket • She had lost the ticket but was able to produce the credit card statement showing she in fact bought the ticket The security cameras proved that Kathryn Jones bought the ticket, this is a huge advantage of monitoring and how it helped to solve this case.

16. Works Cited Works Cited Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. New York: Tor, 1991. Print. "CTV News." Ctvnews.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/hamilton-woman-owner-of-50-million-lotto-ticket-sold-in-cambridge-1.1571947>. Gregoratti, Catia. "Britannica School High." (n.d.): n. pag. Britannica School High. Web. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/600941#307782.toc>. "The “Hawthorne Effect”." N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hawthorne/09.html>. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-hawthorne-effect-the-study-of-employee-productivity.html#lesson>. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://elizabethmcclung.blogspot.ca/2011/03/heart-monitor-ecgekg-readings-of.html>. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://www.citynews.ca/2013/12/03/hamilton-woman-wins-50m-lottery-after-losing-ticket/>. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://www.dietandfitnessresources.co.uk/scales_monitors/heart_rate_monitor_problem_solving.htm>. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hawthorne/09.html>. N.p., n.d. Web. <http:// http://www.economist.com/node/12510632>. "Should Governments Be Able to Secretly Monitor Suspicious Individuals?" N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-governments-be-able-to-secretly-monitor-suspicious-individuals>.