...Each uses technology on an hourly basis to function in everyday life.
Who am I? Who do I need to be in order to fit in with those in my peer group? Every teenager asks these questions, consciously or subconsciously, when determining what to publish on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or MySpace. Brad Paisley illustrates the idea behind these internet profiles with his song "Online". Though humorous in his execution, Brad demonstrates one of the reasons people create their online identities.
It's through these online social networking sites that teenagers, young adults, parents, and even grandparents can create, re-create connect with, or express themselves. Ask anyone, and they most likely have an online profile in Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.
In July of 2010, Facebook reached the 500 million user mark. As the number of social networkers increases, so does the concern for privacy and safety. While only a "minimal" (which is itself a relative term) amount of information is necessary to create any of the various accounts, many choose to post more than the required fields. And even though some profiles are limited, the information is still stored somewhere in some database to which someone has access. Not to mention, this "personal" information is posted on the world wide web.
The soccermom is buying textbooks or ordering school supplies online to save time: how many companies have her credit card information on file? Customers sometimes have no "reliable way of knowing when they are disclosing private information to illegitimate parties." For the businessman sending emails as he travels from one meeting to the next, we assumme the information he sends is important. A mistake in an email adress of only 1 or 2 letters can send crucial information to someone for whom it was unintended.
Though all these concerns and considerations are widely discussed, the contemporary society has not drawn away from its use of technology (primarily the Internet) in so much of everyday activities. With the pivitol role of digital communication in contemporary society, I have chosen to investigate the internet as the centerpiece for the discussion of the identity, privacy, and safety of its users.
Good points! Its looks like you have some interesting things to discuss. Your video link is broken though. Looking forward to some insightful posts.
ReplyDeleteI like your opening, it made me realize how much importance and weight we place on technology in our lives - which is a bit scary. Private information is almost never private. I look forward to reading the rest of your blog and what suggestions you might have for the everyday internet user.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting. I enjoyed that video clip with Brad Praisley, definitely understand why Americans would want to create their own identities - when their current live status does not appear as glamorous as other people's, such as celebrities'.
ReplyDeleteIdentity, Privacy and Safety are topics every pragmatic user of the Internet ought to be well-informed of, since online profiling has become so ubiquitous, especially for us as "digital natives."