This was posted on Twitter’s Think Smarter a few days ago. This is so true, it’s scary. This is the kind of thing that makes me want to shrink up and hide in a little hole. I get the irony. I write a public blog every day where I spill my guts, yet I abhor the idea of being cyber-ly followed and tracked.
Privacy is such an independent, personal concept. When we were little, my cousin made up a song that we used to tease her about, yet I can still sing it. “PRIIIIIIVACY! If you want some . . . . close the door!! PRIIIIIVACY!”
I am perfectly comfortable with being very open about my feelings and perceptions on a public format, but I like my day-to-day happenings to be mostly private, and my own. I think most people are probably the opposite of that. Yet, there are the people who are willing to “let it all hang out”, like reality TV stars and the Kardasians. On the other hand, you have the entirely mysterious people who seem to leave no public footprint at all.
No matter what our privacy preferences are, one thing can be sure, if we have a cell phone, or a computer, or we spend any time in public places, someone/something is seeing us, recording us, tracking our preferences and keeping the data. It’s funny that I am comfortable with the idea of God and the angels doing this. Yet artificial intelligence makes me shiver in fear and disgust sometimes.
It’s big topic now. My concern is minimal but I don’t like getting so many ads forward into me. My life is an open book, otherwise. Nothing to hide, nothing all that interesting to see. I do see future dystopic uses but that’s not happening now and I wont be around if it does. Plus, our whole system will be different and maybe it will be used for good instead of evil.
I like your positive attitude towards it, Sandra. I think I will try to adopt your outlook a little more . . . .
I am laughing right along with you on this one.
I have several friends who have covered the camera built into their laptops because it’s been “proven” that various companies are peeking into our lives this way. Really? Cool. I’m a writer. I sit in front of my computer for hours every day. If some company gets it’s kicks watching me stare at a screen while eating cottage cheese and pretzels or picking at my cuticles waiting for inspiration to strike, more power to ’em. My camera points at a wall covered with paisley wallpaper, because I need a nice background when I Facetime with clients. If they want to admire my wall covering, go for it. As for Siri and Alexa, they are silent observers in my home. I can’t get Siri to respond even when I yell. Clearly James Franco has more power than I.
LOL! Yes, I am sure that Siri and Alexa find James Franco more interesting than me right now, as I stuff my face with Toast Chees, sitting cross legged, in my sweats.