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The Great Debate: Accessibility vs. Privacy

I need a connection.

Everyone knows that internet privacy is important, but few realize how much information they share online, particularly on social media. We all get that privacy will always be in contention with accessibility, but where's the sweet spot? How do we balance being connected and being safe?

In modern society, the two most critical commodities are battery life and the quality of our connection to the internet. Without both, the world is inaccessible; we are offline. How often have we felt the panic of being at 8% battery when awaiting an important text or call? Our connection to the internet also impacts interpersonal behavior. Have you ever had to apologize for a dead phone or missed text? We expect all of our contacts to be always available and responsive to their devices all the time. This insistence on being plugged in 24/7 has created a paradigm where we are willing to sacrifice privacy for immediate connection. 

Hey! Look a Me!

Modern technology has dramatically impacted the way we build and maintain relationships. We've been convinced that openness is a quality to be embraced. Plus, social media has conveniently categorized our relationships as followers, subscribers, and "friends." We judge our social capital by the headcount of our "friends." Seriously, who has 1,000 friends? Nobody. To "unfriend" someone is the ultimate in 21st-century passive-aggression.

Social media has also conveniently provided a very tangible metric for your self-worth - the "like." Have you ever posted content that doesn't get the attention you think it deserves? We are always in a state of evaluating the effectiveness of our posts.

One thing social networks do very well is casually sharing our intimate details. Are we in an "it's complicated" relationship? Are we looking for work? Social media has made our lives less private, and we are, for the most part, are copacetic with it. All this sharing is all well and good when we post a photo of our lunch or our cat, but should we share the date and location of our next vacation? 

It's all too much.

What you shouldn't share on social networks is entirely a personal decision. Here's a breakdown of four broad categories that can help you make decisions about social media privacy. 

  1. Location: be careful when sharing the address of your home, place of employment, daycare, and schools to deter stalkers.

  2. Whereabouts: sharing information about where you'll be and when you'll be there can inform burglars of the best time to hit your home.

  3. Personal Details: social engineers can use your date of birth, mother's maiden name, drivers' license, and even the mascot of your high school to gain access to your financial accounts.

  4. Identity: determine exactly who is and who is not an actual friend to keep cyberstalkers away. Don’t accept friends you don’t know,

Ultimately, we are in an age where personal information is king. Choosing what to share and with whom will go a long way in preserving your privacy.

John Demke