Have you ever thought about privacy and the internet? I've been recently readying up on various articles and listening to various conversations in regards to this subject.
Once in a while, the public on social media goes up in arms when a new policy is put in place. Do you remember when everyone didn't want to sign up for Facebook Messenger as a separate app on their phone because doing so would invade our privacy? Most people I know ended up downloading the app eventually. In order to improve the user experience, it became a 'must' for users to download and give permissions to Facebook.
As it relates to privacy, I came across two interesting reads:
Do You Know How Much Private Information You Give Away Every Day?
https://time.com/4673602/terms-service-privacy-security/
Extreme Privacy: What it takes to disappear in America
https://inteltechniques.com/data/workbook.pdf
I think this discussion on privacy is important to have. I've noticed a divide between generations. The younger generations tend to lean towards openness and don't necessarily put a value to their privacy. Every app asks for permissions to use our information and in order to use the app, we give those permissions away even if we don't read what we are agreeing to.
I find that when I speak with older generations, the opposite is true. Who wants to feel like they're being watched all the time?
I reflected on how I react to the idea of privacy. It definitely affects my learning space. The more aware I become about how I am being tracked, the more concerned I am. I delete my data on Google regularly. I don't sign up for websites in order to get access to an article to read. I will find another way around that, or I will just find a different source and not read that article at all. The barriers to information have become a question of how much information am I willing to give up about myself.
Maybe I'm a bit paranoid, but I do like to have my privacy respected, and I don't like the idea that I could be attached to a location based on my Tweets, Google Maps, or any other app that I carry around daily.
Very interesting- I hadn't given much thought to the difference in privacy expectations based on generation. This makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThis research is 4 years old, but still an interesting read if you wanted to dig a bit more into the generational similarities and differences. https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/192401/data-security-not-big-concern-millennials.aspx
DeleteGood Evening,
ReplyDeleteI was one of those people who didn't want to sign up for Facebook messenger but eventually conformed to it. However, I have my settings where you can't message me if you aren't a friend. You also can't call me from facebook, which is a new thing now. You have every right to be paranoid because it seem like everything we do in some way or another is via the internet. These days you can't even apply for a job without using the internet. It seems like our information is out there no matter what. Google frightens me because it tracks my location. One day I went to work and I got an alert from google saying parked car has been updated. It creeped me out because I never gave google permission to keep track of when I parked my car or at least I thought I didn't. I asked my fiancé who happens to be a police officer if he put a tracking device on my car and he thought I was crazy. Just know that you're not paranoid alone!