A Private Matter
Webcams booting up without the user’s consent, timelines with fake profiles manipulating behaviors and thought, and indirect threats under the guise of clever word play to make an individual seem like they are losing their mind; Time’s article (click here to read) on the uncanny similarities between Orwell’s 1984 and the era we live in, points out many of the issues numerous people are facing with privacy in the 21st century.
As a writer I have been utilizing social media for over a decade now, to promote my work as an author, and I myself have noticed some of these very issues that the article talks about. Especially with bad agents intentionally taking my works of fiction out of context, presumably to point out some mental defect with me, friends and anyone else with whom I may be acquainted. Personally, I have no problem with some of my information being sold among companies and other business entities. As a consumer and a writer, I understand the benefits of data mining to cater to the consumer’s needs and desires. I am pretty much an open book when it comes to sharing details about my life, likes and dislikes; if I am not infringing on the rights and privacy of friends and family, I have no problem being open about who I am as an individual. Perceived flaws and all. I want the general public to see and think about whatever it is I share on various platforms. For example, like any other person with an average to heightened sex drive, I watch porn: ranging from hentai to group sex. What consenting adults do with their own time is their business and they have nothing to be ashamed about. Something those in a repressed society should really think about, instead of taking offense like kindergarteners upon hearing the word “cooties.”
But in the politically charged and divisive period we find ourselves in nowadays, it is difficult to discern other people’s motivations and agenda for acquiring the information anyone shares through digital platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It’s a scary prospect how some entities use data about people to try and ruin somebody’s life for political or financial gains; and a surveillance state doesn’t help curb these unscrupulous practices. As far as I can tell, nobody is saying certain measures of surveillance should not be utilized to protect one’s country from harm. National security and interests are important to a healthy and thriving democracy. But when it is over utilized for petty matters of spite and bruised egos, the shameless wielding of such surveillance methods will only serve to erode the public’s trust in its government and representatives. Especially if certain entities are using mined data to instill unsettling levels of manipulative controls through subterfuge and fear.
In the face of all this, however, other than promoting myself as an aspiring author, my goal has always been to share information that is as close to being accurate and concise as possible. As human beings, we are not infallible; we will continue to make mistakes and offend each other, for as long as our species continue to roam this planet. But since the concept of change is the only constant this reality can ever promise us - we can always strive to bring out the best of ourselves. Most notably in how we treat each other in our daily lives.
