It's interesting what information people choose to share on the internet. For example, in doing some research for work, I came across a blog that a woman had set up for her business. One post began with an apology for not having posted more frequently, and went on to recount that she (the business owner) had given birth in her home to a seemingly healthy premature baby boy, who then stopped breathing a few hours later and passed away. Purely out of morbid curiosity, I followed the link to a memorial page that the woman's husband had set up in memory of the child that no longer was. While the website was very sweet, I was shocked at how the couple showed no reservations about putting their pregnancy photo shoot and pictures of the child (while still alive) onto such a public forum. Not only that, but the woman was so open about this particular painful chapter in her life, and discussed it on a work-related website to boot.
Facebook provides further examples of the range of attitudes that exist when it comes to sharing personal information and images. Some users choose to partake in many "applications"--in other words games, small programs, and other ways to absorb what would have been time put to good use doing something productive. In order to download an application, one must be willing to share the information in their profile page with the creators of the app. Other examples involve what people actually post in their status messages, profiles, or on their friends' and families' profiles. Some people are more discrete; others act as though no one else could read what they're writing. When it comes to photos, practices range from conservative to quite liberal. Many people put up pictures of their children, their wedding, partaking in the consumption of alcohol, kissing, and so on. Other people don't post any pictures of themselves and the only pictures that appear of them are those that are added by other users. Finally, some users fail to even guard their profiles from public access. I've been able to view pictures and profile information of people I've never even met or heard of, but who happen to be an acquaintance of an acquaintance or sometimes even a stranger.
It's amazing to me how some individuals can be so cavalier about personal information and how much of their lives they leave on the internet with such a visible trace. On the other hand, there are many who take good care of their privacy and keep everything under lock and key whenever possible. The internet can be so deceptive sometimes. People post things they would never say to someone's face, such as in internet forums where tempers can run high and trolls abound. Folks share information and items, such as their phone number, address, wedding photos, stories of deceased infants, and so on, that they would never hand out freely to passersby on the street. It's fascinating how a computer screen can make the world wide web seem so closed off and safe, when the reality is completely different. Even more intriguing still is that some people seem to enjoy sharing all, or a great deal, of themselves with both persons of confidence and strangers alike.
Privacy is something that has shifted so much over the past 100 years or so, and all signs point to an increased shrinkage of its boundaries in the future and an increased emphasis on sharing information and yourself with others out there in cyberspace. Perhaps there will be a huge outcry at some point, a "lashing out" if you will, and people will renounce Facebook, MySpace, Hi5, blogs, and the like in favor of cherishing their treasured personal information. However, it looks like social networking is here to stay, and with it, sometimes more information about people than I know what to do with.
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