Question: Why You In My Kool-Aid?

[tracy_d74]

A week ago, I was in a store when I heard a girl jibber-jabbering into her phone. I tried not to eavesdrop, but it was kinda impossible given her volume.

"What? How can she be mad that I told him?"

Pause. Then laughter.

"You can't be serious. It's 2011. No one has privacy anymore. Get real."

I froze. Shivered. The statement was said with such flippant

Comments

[mtlawson]

All it takes is someone being violated --not necessarily physically, although that counts-- for that person to suddenly rediscover privacy. Credit card number stolen, stalked by an ex, embarrassing divorce court proceedings, employment denied/terminated due to online activity, you name it. All it takes is once ("what do you mean I don't get the job?") and you learn.

I'm lucky, very very lucky, that I have a common name. It's harder to find me online. Even so, I make a point of not putting my e-mail out there for people to snoop for, so that what you do find is pretty old. And for things such as the 'cloud', which boils down to "cheap online storage" for most people, it's a walking smorgasbord for hackers.

And don't get me started about Facebook....

[tracy_d74]

I guess that is why I am more ...careful. I'm not perfect...but I try to limit what is out on the web. I do some of it comes with my job. I work with unstable people. I've seen too many stories about a pyschologist found dead in their home or office. Shucks, my undergrad just had a psychologist that was stalked by a client. The client followed her child and husband to the child's daycare. The client killed the husband in front of the daycare.

With regards to jobs, there is definitely this mindset that, "You represent the company 24/7." Anything you do in your private life is reason to be fired. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Sure, I think some jobs it may matter. But really, if I get sloshed on the weekend and I'm 21 and work at Starbucks...serving up coffee...is that really going to sully the company name? I should hope not. If I murder someone...well that's different. I don't know...

[bogwitch64]

We live in a world where privacy seems to be a low priority. Twitter, Facebook, even Livejournal, we put our lives out there with every thought that pops into out heads. Those who don't seem the odd ones out.

[tracy_d74]

This is true. I'm not on Facebook and people look at me like I have three heads. I just don't think I'm that fascinating. Nor do I care that my friend bought a Starbucks vente, double espresso. And now everyone is running to Google+. I just can't keep up with all of it. I can barely keep up with RL friends.

[karen_w_newton]

There is a big difference between there being no privacy because information is online and repeating something personal about someone. Just because someone is bound to find out some piece of information doesn't mean that YOU have to be the person who conveys the information. Gossips is gossip. Friends don't talk about each other behind their backs.

[tracy_d74]

I totally agree with that. Totally. But somepeople don't see the difference. That scares me.

[dotificus]

I think some of the change you're noticing is generational. For whatever reasons, people in their 20s and younger seem to lack an awareness of the value of privacy that older generations have. So things like Foursquare take off like crazy with that age group whereas older folks are more suspicious.

[tracy_d74]

I do think that is true. But do they have that thinking because privacy really is treated differently? They've grown up with types of communication that are not secure. We didn't.

[kimberlywade]

Anonymity is important to me. I can't really say why as i don't feel i have anything to hide. Total strangers knowing too much about me is creepy, and i don't understand the intense interest in the lives of celebrities. I fear as everything becomes fair game in RL, the special role of fiction to reveal what we ordinarily keep hidden, becomes devalued.

[tracy_d74]

I don't mind sharing stuff with people in conversation or in an email...that I'm believing is private unless there is something I recognize is of interest to others. I think it is my willingness to share, if asked, that makes me very protective of things when I don't share.

I don't the fascination with celebrities either. I think they eat and poop just like everyone else.My friends always tease that I will be famous someday and I groan. The idea that people will dig through my trash or want to know what I eat for breakfast is mindboggling. I'd tell people, because I think it doesn't really matter. But I won't understand the fascination with it.

And yes, I do think it could have an impact on the type of stories we tell.