Blog #8 - Privacy, Online & Off

As someone who uses the internet often, I think about online security fairly frequently. I've been exposed to social media for a number of years that is probably too many. I've seen Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat change/develop immensely since I was gifted my first smartphone in 2012. Facebook has been around practically as long as I have, but it wasn't anything close to what it is now. I use all of these huge social media softwares, but only recently have I really had an understanding of how they track me through every moment of my day. Internet privacy is important and it matters. Location tracking, data storage, and mishandling of information happens all the time. If you have a smartphone with an online presence, then it can happen to you 

The TED talk by Juan Enriquez compares our online activity to body tattoos -- they say a lot about you. I resonated with this analogy because I have a few tattoos myself, and all three of them are designs that mean and express a certain characteristic about myself. It makes sense that my online activity and internet history. While I never mind chatting about my tattoos and what they mean to me....I'm not so sure that I feel the same way about my internet habits. On the surface, that sounds shady and a bit suspicious -- but the fact of the matter is that I don't necessarily want the government knowing that I spent 2 hours looking for a heated blanket on Amazon. I don't want Tik Tok keeping a record of how long I watched the same soap carving video just because I found it satisfying. The worst part is that those examples are the least of what I should be worried about.

It's extremely easy for hackers to access information through the internet. With all of these platforms keeping our information stored for various reasons, it's like ringing a dinner bell for people hungry with malicious intentions. Social media has made our information so easy to snag, because we're the ones putting it out to the public. Kids are being prepared for the inevitable time when they are allowed to have social media. Teachers and parents stress to them all the ground rules. Don't post pictures on vacation because then potential burglars will know that you're not home. Don't post pictures from inside of your house. Don't share your personal information with anyone. That last one is a kicker, because social media is already doing it for you.