Big Red is Watching: Everybody’s Favorite Orwellian Elf

Elf on the Shelf is a time-honored holiday tradition— but what are you really letting into your home, and what is it teaching kids?

With Thanksgiving Break now through and finals week on the horizon, for many New Roads students, it’s apparent— the holidays are here at last. In the final stretch of the fall semester, the New Roads community begins to get into the holiday spirit, with many starting to break out decorations and traditions personal to them and their families. Foods that fill the house with warmth, trees decked with vibrant mementos and lights, all signs of what many claim to be the happiest time of the year. There’s one tradition, however, that some experts argue ought to be kept in storage this year. The perpetrator? A jolly little elf with a sinister smile and a thirst for tattling. 

It all started with a book. Written in 2005 by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell,  The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition describes an old family tradition of Aebersold’s in which an elf by the name of Fisbee was introduced to keep an eye on the children of the household and report back to Santa Claus, which Aebersold claimed would encourage better behavior. 

Carol V. Aebersold’s The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, the book that started it all (Photograph: Barnes & Noble)

The book quickly became a smash hit, proving to be “one of the most successful self-publishing stories of all time,” as described by Barbara Bellesi Zito on Today. 

More recently, polls show that as of 2020, “more than one-third (36%) of parents to young children (10 or younger) say that their household has an Elf on the Shelf” and that “among those who have an elf, the most common reason why they decided to get one is simple: they think it’s ‘fun’” 

Over the years, it’s safe to say that the Elf on the Shelf has earned its place amongst the ranks of countless other valued traditions, serving as both a fun and creative way to encourage good behavior in children across the globe. 

There is, however, a dark side to this seemingly harmless holiday tradition. More and more, experts are beginning to warn of the potential harm caused by this supposed “seasonal surveillance.” In comes the panopticon effect.

The panopticon effect, a philosophical theory inspired by a prison designed by 18th-century social theorist Jeremy Bentham, states that if a group of people believe that they are constantly being monitored, they will begin to monitor themselves. 

Plans for the Panopticon watch system. (Photograph: fs blog)

Originally, this theory was intended to lessen the load on prison guards. If the prisoners had no way of knowing when they were and weren’t being monitored, that meant less work for the guards, as the prisoners were incentivized to correct their own behavior. More recently, however, the concept has been applied to countless subjects. Philosophical debates, religious constructs, and most obscurely: holiday cheer. 

“The Elf on the Shelf serves functions that are aligned to the official functions of the panopticon,” claims Dr. Laura Pinto, who is a digital education professor located at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, adding, “in doing so, it contributes to the shaping of children as governable subjects.”

The claim of some is that in introducing this supposed “all-knowing elf,” there’s an implication that not only are these children under constant surveillance, but that they should see this lack of privacy as normal, or even fun. 

For many, it’s an issue of ethics; however, fans of the elf as well as the company itself continue to insist that the elf is simply a fun, effective way to introduce both the holiday spirit and improved behavior into the home. 

An elaborate Elf on the Shelf display showing two elves playing Jenga with KitKats. (Photograph: Elf on the Shelf Co.)

In a statement made to the New York Post, the company responsible for the distribution of Elf on the Shelf claims that the elf has always had wholesome intentions, stating, “Santa’s Scout Elves don’t just help to keep up with the Nice List; they also share with Santa how families are spreading the spirit of Christmas.” 

Others argue that this supposed surveillance is simply the spirit of the season. In a holiday rooted in the concept of one all-seeing being watching over every little child to ensure proper behavior, there’s bound to be some unsettling implications. 

Take some of the most popular Christmas carols, for instance. Growing up singing things like “you better watch out, you better not cry” and “he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake,” it’s hard for many to see any issue in Santa sending a few happy helpers to keep a watchful eye on little boys and girls nationwide. 

It’s hard to say whether any of these ominous warnings have much merit behind them, as experts will have to wait at least another 5 years or so before a majority of the children who grew up with this tradition are old enough to give their thoughts on how it may have affected them. As for now, it’s a matter of personal opinion. To elf or not to elf, the choice is theirs.