When people post things on social media sites like Facebook they naturally assume that the content of their posts belongs to them (and that if they remove it, it is deleted) but this is not the case. People have become so comfortable with tweeting or Facebooking that they may check their privacy settings to make sure “The Ex” or “that girl I don’t like” can’t see what their posting, but beyond that most people fail to consider the security issues, and potential for character defamation with these sites. When things are posted to online sites and sent through email, or any other way of sharing information online, you are leaving a virtual footprint of what you said, your purchases, or what you searched for, etc. Until reading the Mark Andrejevic article I was unaware of just how much of our info is saved! The idea that all the emails people send through Gmail being stored indefinitely is mind boggling to think about. This idea of panopticism and that everything we do is being monitored seems very George Orwell “Big Brother” like to me. It’s really kind of creepy to think about. The remark in the Andrejevic article about how psychologists will love this vault of information hundreds of years down the road really struck a note in my head. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want some scientist reading my private emails and analyzing me! For one, their time could clearly be better spent as I don’t think my emails about group meetings or bills I need to pay are very interesting, but secondly, it’s entirely weird to think about that sort of invasion of privacy. It’d be like some stranger reading everything I get from the post office. I think with the internet it just makes surveillance of that kind so much easier for the government or anyone who is trying to get information about you.
I do think there are a lot of reasons this storage of data can be beneficial such as for targeted advertising or just general census-type information collection, but there are also negative consequences when this information that people intended to be private becomes public. I think one of the biggest examples of this on Facebook, MySpace, and other social media sites is shown with celebrities or other people in the public spotlight who post photos when they aren’t famous that later come back to haunt them. Several beauty pageant contestants have had images show up from their online sites and cause scandals. A former Miss Nevada lost her crown over some un-ladylike pictures that were posted online. Other young stars (Like Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens) have also had first-hand experience of online photos they meant to be private becoming public and causing harm to their reputations and careers. And although not as widely publicized, this also poses problems for everyday people who are trying to get professional jobs. If their potential employers can access their social media sites and judge them by pictures from “that one drunken night” instead of by their outstanding qualifications, they might not get the job. The same goes for students applying to college, or internships, etc. With increasing technological advances people have to be more cautious of what they are posting and making public because once it is online, it’s hard to erase. I think because people (especially young people) just sort of post whatever comes naturally while using the internet that they don’t question it or even think about the consequences or the ramifications later on of this information they’re making public, which is a problem. I think that entirely too many people are unaware of the extent that they are being surveyed, profiled, and their information processed and stored.
I like the part of this post talking about the extra issues that celebrities find with social media. It seems like our generation is so used to documenting their lives online for all to see, that they never stop to specifically think about who is watching. The nature of social networking sites is a platform for people to find easy access to broadcast themselves to a larger audience, but for people who find themselves in the public spotlight more naturally (athletes, celebrities), it seems that they are constantly made more aware of the negative impacts of extra surveillance. “Average” people seem confident that their posting will not stand out, it will either be surrounded by so many similar postings that it blends it, or they can delete it if it gets too controversial. They only “feel the heat”, so to speak, when job interviewers, parents, or potential bosses take time to scrutinize them. For more public figures, their position in society is enough to invite people to scrutinize their every move in any way they can (think paparazzi), so it follows that they would want to take extra precautions in the interactive technology sphere as well.
This is an interesting post, because I completely agree that people’s privacy is being unduly violated — particularly people who occupy a space of public recognition, like entertainment stars, athletes, politicians, etc. One thing that I didn’t expect when I read your post was to come out feeling like maybe some of the surveillance can be justified. You mentioned Andrejevic’s comment about psychologists using this stored information in the future, and I cannot see how this is any different than contemporary society’s use of documents like Anne Frank’s diary or private letters of citizens or public figures that shed light on a specific moment in history. So much of history, anthropology, and sociology relies on informal documents like these to understand the past. Life has become so digital, and if we are no longer leaving “paper trails” of what culture and life was like, how else will our time here be preserved? I definitely disagree with how these documents are used during our individual lifetimes for job interviews, college admissions, etc. but I’m not convinced that postmortem referencing of these private stories for academic purposes later on is always inappropriate, without exception.
I think this is an interesting post as well. It is scary to think that wherever we go in our lives in the future, the photos, posts, comments, and tweets we make now could have a devestating impact later on in our lives. Our children, grandchildren or employers will all be able to see what we were doing and saying at this age. It is like having every conversation or comment you make behind someone’s back or in private being recorded and subject to be used against you in the future. As much as this is true, I think this is what you sign up for when you choose to make a facebook. You are asking for virtual attention and spotlight, so you have to imagine everything you say or do in the spotlight as well.
For me, the interesting points brought up here have to do with celebrities and the media. The issue is constantly brought up that the paparazzi and similar groups abuse the privacy of these famous icons. They are constantly under surveillance and something as mundane as an awkward sneeze caught on camera can become viral in no time. It gets posted on the front page of magazines like “Us” and “Star” with degrading headings. For the most part, I think people would agree that the privacy of these people is being violated, however, the guilty pleasure of reading “trash” like that seems to be a prevalent one throughout society. In general, I stay away from those magazines for the most part, but every now and then, on a long flight or drive, I may dabble in a little celebrity gossip. What we don’t realize is that we are putting ourselves in the exact same situation, mostly by personal choice. Of course, there is the occasional embarrassing FB photo that you are tagged in by someone else, but for the most part, we put ourselves in these situations. We allow photos to be put up that might highlight momentary indiscretions or a lack of judgement rather than limit it to publications of photos that present us in a good light or more effectively express our personalities as a whole. The thought that these photos (good or bad) might go down in history and forever be judged and mocked doesn’t even seem to cross our mind. Sure, photos of celebrities are spread nation- or even worldwide through popular magazines and websites, but we put ourselves in the same situation by utilizing programs like FB and MySpace without taking the proper precautions when it comes to privacy. Even then, we often fail to read the small print.
One thing that I believe is important to keep in mind is the fact that whenever anyone writes down anything, whether it be on paper or online, there is the possibility of someone else finding it years down the road and reading or analyzing it. That is simplely the possibility that one has to accept when extracting anything from their private minds. Although I do believe that it is an insane invasion of privacy that certain internet companies have access to your email, I think it is interesting to think of it from this perspective:
Anne Frank did not intentionally write her diary for the whole world to see and read decades after her death. Yet, by transfering the words from her mind onto the paper, she immediately took the chance that one day there would be a possibility for someone other than her to see it. This is why it is always important to remember that you never know who may have access to something you wrote even years down the line.
I agree that this is a very interesting post because as I explore Facebook it becomes obvious that some people certainly share more than others. I can catch up on an entire person’s life through their Facebook page, yet others are much more discrete about what they put up. However, one aspect to this is the Facebook status. I believe that I find out more about people through a Facebook status than almost anything. People sometimes tell personal things like, “I hate boys, I just got dumped..” stuff like that really makes me awkward. I do believe that everyone signs up to be exposed as they enter “the Facebook world” yet, I do believe that a lot of this is in our own hands because we do not have to put up outrageous albums or telling status’s yet some do as their greatest form of communication. In reference to your post, celebrities do use these social media outlets as a way to connect with their fans and get their voice heard. I think that people should be cautious what they put up because regardless of who you block or the security that is on your privacy settings, it is still up on the public Internet.
I think I am most disturbed at the fact that nothing done over the internet is private. Even in the simplest forms of retention, like this blog, will be in cyberspace forever. My question would be is it such a violation? In terms of social networking, if we are the ones that put up our information to be seen, know that we know the facts, can’t we make the conscious decision not to post what we don’t want seen? Where it gets tricky for me is when useful methods of communication like emails are considered. Based on what comes in and out of my inboxes on a daily basis, it’s really uncomfortable to think someone, somewhere on this planet has access or has the tech savvy skills to access it. Yes, communication is important but is it worth the sacrifice of privacy?
To answer the question directly above, is communication worth the sacrifice of privacy, I think we are almost past the point of being able to ask that. If someone didn’t use email or facebook, they would find it really difficult to stay current and in touch with everyone, from coworkers and potential employees, to friends. Pretty much everything involving more than two people is done over some form of social media now, so we might have already given up our choice to answer that question. We could always try, but I think we would find that no matter invasive social media is, we would still be forced to rely on it. There is definitely a Big Brother-esque feel to the online monitoring, but we are unable to boycott it without relying on social media.
Prior to reading the interview of Mark Andrejevic, I, too, was unaware of the extent to which all of my information was being saved. I was under the impression that when I deleted an email, it was literally deleted from the virtual universe. Now that I know this information is being stored, a few thoughts come to mind – What is the cost (social, ethical) of indefinitely storing the private information of others, and what are the benefits. Undoubtedly, when psychologists and sociologists of the future wish to study my generation, they will have a wealth of information to do so.
Today, we consider it great, rare *breaking news* when videos, pictures and diaries of historical figures are uncovered and released for public consumption. My primary concern is that what was once deemed a privileged – insight into the deepest thoughts and ongoings of others – will soon become common place.
Furthermore, I cannot help but to feel that a breach of privacy is occurring with all of these user-ids that are being compiled from our internet activity. Although we sign-off on privacy setting – we are given few, to no, other options, and thus find ourselves trapped in participating in a system for which we lack comfort.