Privacy

For this post, I decided to ask my mother what her thoughts were on privacy on New Media, as I think directly asking someone who uses New Media it is truly as raw as an answer could get.

My mother said that privacy has become a concern in New Media and social networking/blogs specifically, because when someone is in the habit of posting about themselves on platforms, others are constantly aware of what they are doing, where they are, who they are friends with, the type of life they lead (or want us to think they lead) and even what they are planning to do in the future.

As the internet is a relatively new phenomenon, there is no precedent regarding the risks and what could happen in terms of privacy and confidentiality. If someone posing as themselves posts a picture on Facebook, for instance, that picture is now available for anyone to see, download and use. Since there is no precedent, people are doing these things without realizing the consequences of their actions on themselves and the people around them. 

The consequences of new media in terms of privacy can be as harmless as people simply knowing what kind of food you like, or as extreme as where to find you in order to rob you. This was perfectly and tragically demonstrated by what happened to Kim Kardashian two years ago in Paris. As stated by Vanity Fair in an article titled The Inside Story of the Kim Kardashian Paris Hotel Heist, Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in her hotel room. According to the police chief, Christian Sainte, who had never heard of Kardashian, searched her on the internet and said "Now I know almost everything about her." Many argue that that was the reason she was robbed so easily, despite her having bodyguards. She uses platforms like Snapchat and Instagram that tell people where she is and what she is doing, and that made it easy for the robbers. 

Clearly, new media can be very dangerous, so it is important for us to realize what we put ourselves into when using them. 

Thanks for reading!

See you,

Nanar