The War on Privacy

Why do we raise such a ruckus about privacy while we seem simultaneously compelled to manifest our entire destinies in the digital arena? We battle our demons, take on those who disagree with us as if we are modern-day gladiators; we jump on our soap boxes, share every detail of our daily drama like soap opera stars, and live our social lives on social media.

Entertainment trumps authenticity, "reality" shows trumpet the worst of human nature and we eat it up. The veil between smart technology and foolish behaviour is being pulled back an inch at a time. Short bursts of attention-grabbing take precedence over long term building: we make it all or nothing, now or never; we rely on ultimatums instead of conversations, we use words as weapons instead of tools. Simple questions spark righteous indignation instead of thoughtful response. Spelling, etiquette, politeness, thorough research, patience, give and take... all become casualties of war; a guerilla war we can't win if we aren't aware—or don't care—about the part we all have to play in keeping our heads and hearts in line as well as online.