Privacy Debate - Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants
The debate over Internet privacy is heating up big time. Now that both Google and Facebook, the 800-pound gorillas, have screwed up, everybody is out to get them.
What baffles me is the fact people don't put this whole debate into perspective. Facebook was started by college students and was intended for college students - all of them digital natives. For those who are not familiar with the term, digital natives are all young people born 1980 or after. They are born plugged in. They don't know the world without computers. They can't live without being connected to their friends. They share everything. They live an a 2000's version of a commune. The "commune" is a very tight-knit group of friends who are always connected to each other. Sometimes, they share the same quarters. They build companies around products and services that serves other digital natives. Since everything is shared, the concept of "privacy" is foreign to them. The Internet provided an awesome way to be more connected and be connected with more people, people whom you can't otherwise reach. Sharing data, photos, videos is a way of life.
And then the unthinkable happened: their parents joined Facebook. The parents loved the ability to connect with their lost friends, share pictures with friends and family living miles away, and being able to showcase their success. "Our last vacation in Paris". "John's new SUV". "With the presidential candidate, at a fundraiser". They want all these, but they also want privacy. Before we look at privacy, we need to look at our definition of friends. Is Suzie from 6th grade or Jack, the former flame from high school whom you have not seen in 30 years a "friend"? Would you bet your life on them, without a background check? Probably not. Yet, we share our contact information, schedules, addresses, pictures of our children with these people and call it safe.
We, digital immigrants, are caught between new technology and private life. Technology allows us to reach corners of the universe we haven't reached before. Because it was designed by digital natives, most current technology comes with a brand new set of rules that conflict with our accustomed private life. We want the technology, but we don't want its rules. "Network", by definition, implies some sharing. How much of that it's up to you. Facebook privacy settings allow you to set the level of sharing. If you don't want to share anything, then...well, don't sign up. And please, don't ask the government to intervene. Life is complicated as it is; an extra 2000-page set of privacy rules are not going to make it any easier or safer.
What baffles me is the fact people don't put this whole debate into perspective. Facebook was started by college students and was intended for college students - all of them digital natives. For those who are not familiar with the term, digital natives are all young people born 1980 or after. They are born plugged in. They don't know the world without computers. They can't live without being connected to their friends. They share everything. They live an a 2000's version of a commune. The "commune" is a very tight-knit group of friends who are always connected to each other. Sometimes, they share the same quarters. They build companies around products and services that serves other digital natives. Since everything is shared, the concept of "privacy" is foreign to them. The Internet provided an awesome way to be more connected and be connected with more people, people whom you can't otherwise reach. Sharing data, photos, videos is a way of life.
And then the unthinkable happened: their parents joined Facebook. The parents loved the ability to connect with their lost friends, share pictures with friends and family living miles away, and being able to showcase their success. "Our last vacation in Paris". "John's new SUV". "With the presidential candidate, at a fundraiser". They want all these, but they also want privacy. Before we look at privacy, we need to look at our definition of friends. Is Suzie from 6th grade or Jack, the former flame from high school whom you have not seen in 30 years a "friend"? Would you bet your life on them, without a background check? Probably not. Yet, we share our contact information, schedules, addresses, pictures of our children with these people and call it safe.
We, digital immigrants, are caught between new technology and private life. Technology allows us to reach corners of the universe we haven't reached before. Because it was designed by digital natives, most current technology comes with a brand new set of rules that conflict with our accustomed private life. We want the technology, but we don't want its rules. "Network", by definition, implies some sharing. How much of that it's up to you. Facebook privacy settings allow you to set the level of sharing. If you don't want to share anything, then...well, don't sign up. And please, don't ask the government to intervene. Life is complicated as it is; an extra 2000-page set of privacy rules are not going to make it any easier or safer.
Posted by Terra3.0 at 5/24/2010 3:05 PM 
Categories: Technology, Digital Psychology, Privacy, Social Media
Tags: social media Privacy Google FTC Facebook Digital Natives
Categories: Technology, Digital Psychology, Privacy, Social Media
Tags: social media Privacy Google FTC Facebook Digital Natives
An excellent presentation. Clear. Practical. Insightful. Shows a depth of experience. Thank you. I learned a great deal.
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