First of let me say that I can't wait until I'm old enough to just be crazy in public. Well not crazy crazy...more like paranoid and slightly senile. When I finally reach this age I fully intend to go shopping and drive unsuspecting 20-somethings just trying to work their way through grad. school absolutely nuts.
Today Zach and I politely listened as a lady told us all about how she never gives out her phone number or her social security or any personal information, and even if someone did steal her identity her checking account never has more than $75 unless they were to get her before rent...yup. We smiled and nodded and wished her a great day. Ohhh I can't wait to be that lady!
But it made me think about identity theft, which made me consider the internet and just how easy it is to find out anything about anyone. We're so free with our information on online networking sites like Facebook and Myspace as well as other sites. I'm an expert at google-stalking, facebook-stalking; give me a name or screen name and a town (home town or otherwise) and in a few minutes I can dig up all sorts of information on anyone.
For example, I can tell you Mark's time in the 200 meter dash at the Missouri Relays his senior year of high school. I can also tell you what time Gabe's movie "Night Watch" was shown at the KAN Film Festival in 2004. My brother has all sorts of TCU student government sites to be found, but you can also locate his xanga from highschool.
Innocent stuff really, but I can also tell you which of my ex-boyfriends likes looking at certain...well...nevermind. It's disgusting. (And no, it's not anyone who has a blog. Relax.)
We act so at home on the internet, so relaxed.
It offers us so many different ways to connect to people, but at what cost?
I'm starting to feel like we no longer have private lives.
(She writes to the absolute strangers who stumble upon her blog looking for song lyrics and quotes from Eternal Sunshine...sigh.)
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5 comments:
being a person who has had her identity stolen twice sadly its a fact we have to face now a days. you can be as careful as anything, but you're information is out there all ready and if someone really really wants to get to it they will. just keep tabs on things and generally everything is fine.
however i will totally take advantage of my age when i can and boast of my reluctance to share any information. no you cannot know my shoe size because you could use that to track down my address from four years ago! good day you young whipper-snapper!
yes, yes, i will be that woman :)
Couldn't agree more. I'm no luddite, as you know. But I have no desire to transfer my identity and my social relationships into the "public" realm so that they aren't really mine anymore.
It seems nowadays that people only feel safe within the crowd, and technology very much accommodates that desire. Facebook is a very, very big offender in this regard, IMO.
Lindsey's a savvy, attractive young grad student, hacking her way through grad. school? Time to call Jerry Bruckheimer (and also change my passwords) :P.
Having gone through a xanga and more forum memberships than I can immediately recall, I'm as big an offender here as you. When examining conditions like this, I always wonder if things are "bad," or if that stigma simply comes from the current status quo noticing something different and powerful, and lashing out to protect itself.
P.S. Your post is titled "Oh Technology," while my most recent post is titled "Oh, Internet." High five!
Eli,
I think the 'public' represented by the world that we become immersed in within technology IS "the status quo." The way I see it, you've got the situation reversed!
Eli: I'll be sure to recommend you for the role of deceased hamster's godfather when Jerry calls. :-)
CP: I agree. Facebook and other such internet worlds are becoming the status quo. However, I'm holding out hope that technology will never completely replace face to face interaction.
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