Social Networks & Privacy
The Internet has for a considerable significant period been the acid test of ‘freedom of speech.’ But at what cost to large numbers of innocent citizens? Frequently famous personalities are the objects of Internet video disclosures that are rapidly broadcast across the globe by means of Internet services like YouTube, whose hyperlinks are easily promoted on social network profiles such as MySpace and Facebook. But almost as frequently, celebrities are made by the uploading of embarrassing videos of everyday people, which are then electronically disseminated and posted and thus spread like wildfire to each end of the world. The notoriety which results from lots of these videos or pictures being piped through so easily can be mortifying to the individuals who are victimized by their being spread. But who is to be called to account? A person can’t be held accountable merely for forwarding an email or posting a public link to their Facebook profile.
The Internet and social networking sites are simply a more with the times channel through which the diffusion of information has been made more accessible. Unfortunately, or fortunately, making every citizen with access to a computer a qualified reporter with the capacity to reach millions of people the world over. So it is not the social networks that are responsible for this invasion of privacy, but the community at large itself. Social tradition flourishes on the spread of tattle and information sharing. So long as you are not the injured, you have no objections passing on that humiliating video of a poor kid dancing around his room making believe to be a rebel fighter from Star Wars (The boy is at present in therapy and has left school, in case you were wondering). Websites such as TMZ.com are in business only because of human longing for tabloid garbage and celebrity scandal.
In the same way, we must be aware of the Internet’s infinite possibility, and the nonviability of control over its content. In this day and age, one must know that anything they do could be broadcast within seconds. With digital cameras, phones with video capability and instant availability of YouTube and Facebook, something you do could be disseminated to your friends and unknown people alike live-action. We must revisit what is intimate and what is fair game, as it is no more prudent to take for granted that all we do will stay in our hands. Technology has a mind of its own, and the Internet is a prime example something that can easily slip away from its intended use and obtain many more functions as long as the masses demand it.