New York Magazine begins its article with this on the cover:
"I am not interested in privacy. Online, I reveal everything - my break ups, by bank balance, my breakfast cereal, my body. My parents call it shameless. I call it freedom."
I think your reaction to that statement will tell you where you fall in the newest generational controversy - how much of one's life to reveal on the Internet.
As a 30-something professional, I am, of course, very careful what I share here and elsewhere. Although I like having a space through which to reach both friends and strangers, I am conscious that anyone - prospective employers, my ex-husband's new wife - can find it. Although my personal and professional selves are largely integrated (what you see is pretty much what you get!) I am still sensitive that my audience would be anyone.
And there are aspects of this new wave that are unimpressive - witness reality TV. As Lakshmi Chaudhry explains in the current issue of The Nation: "When it is more important to be seen than to be talented, it is hardly surprising that the less gifted among us are willing to fart our way into the spotlight."
However, when I imagine myself at 19 with the technology available today, I am sure that my very entertaining college life would have been chronicled extensively! I have huge photo albums (yes, we took pictures at parties!) and long journals from every period of my life. I can absolutely see the attraction young people have to things like MySpace, Flicker and Blogspot.
The article asks the question: what will be the results of all this? Will these young people grow up and regret putting themselves out there so raw? Or will they love having a chronicle of their lives? It also notes one important aspect culturally: we are losing much of our privacy in this country post-9/11 anyway - maybe it's better to adjust our attitudes & embrace living publicly than to fret over things we don't seem to be able to control anymore.
As they point out: "Every street in New York has a surveillance camera. Each time you swipe your debit card or use your MetroCard, that transaction is tracked. Your employer owns your emails. The NSA owns your phone calls. Your life is being lived in public whether you choose to acknowledge it or not."
Maybe the kids are on to something.
Read the article: http://nymag.com/news/features/27341/index.html?imw=Y
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