What Is The 'Big Brother Is Watching You' Meme On TikTok? The Meaning Of The Viral '1984' Memes Explained

Few novels have had as strong an impact on culture as George Orwell's 1984, and now that impact is being felt on TikTok.

Recently, TikTokers have brought yet another meme based on the book to life with the viral "Big Brother Is Watching You" format, which has TikTokers using a piece of art inspired by the book to point out examples of 1984-like censorship in today's society.

But where does the art come from, what song is being used in the memes and what exactly is the meme all about? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'Big Brother Is Watching You' Meme?

In late 2014, artist Jonathan Burton released a series of illustrations based on George Orwell's iconic 1948 dystopian novel, 1984. The book is about a future run by a totalitarian government known as "Big Brother" in which the citizens are constantly surveilled and information is censored or hidden to fit their narrative.

The most popular piece of art that Burton released shows a man looking out his window to see "Big Brother is watching" posters plastered across buildings.

A decade after the illustration was made, TikTokers got their hands on it and started sharing it on TikTok as a meme, with one of the earliest known examples attaching it to a sign warning people not to use their phones in bathroom stalls, ironically suggesting this is something that might happen in 1984.

How Is 'Big Brother Is Watching You' Used In Memes?

The meme continued to spread across TikTok in November 2024. Most of the memes simply attached the "Big Brother is watching" artwork to a photo of a sign barring someone from doing something that's pretty reasonable, like drinking out of a urinal or washing yourself in Baja Blast.

Essentially, the meme ironically claims that these requests are not reasonable at all and are actually comparable to the extreme censorship and surveillance depicted in 1984. Most of the memes are set to the theme song from the video game Papers, Please, giving them an eerie vibe.

For the full history of Big Brother is watching you, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.