What Happened to Privacy?

“All human beings have three lives; a public life, a private life, and a secret life.” 

~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez

But do we anymore? 

Now day’s social media has taken over our lives, and our privacy. I’m talking Twitter, Facebook, Four Square, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr, Flickr… the list goes on and on. I seem to be less concerned with the privacy settings on these platforms, and more concerned with the people using them…excessively.

I’ll be the first to say, I’m guilty of sharing personal, private, and unnecessary information on social media. We’ve all done it, and some may continue to do it. I post on my Instagram 4-5 days per week for sponsorship reasons. But at what point is enough, enough?

Do people actually gain value from the number of followers they have? Do they achieve more self-assurance from the number of likes on any given photo? Do they get joy out of sharing their every move of every day on their ‘Story’? Do they feel it’s necessary to ‘check-in’ when they arrive at their destination?

I’m not talking about a casual post, a rant, or even an opinion. I’m not referring to a few snapchats while you’re at a party, or even a ‘check-in’ that you arrived in Hawaii.

I’m talking about the people that snapchat their daily routine or update on what they are doing every hour. People who ‘check-in’ that they made it to Hawaii, now they are getting shaved ice, now they are at Wal-Mart, now at such-and-such a beach. I’m talking about a pictures posted as things are happening, all the time, always. I’d like to call this “Serial Sharing.”

People are so hungry and needy for the approval of others and to create a following, I don’t understand it. I constantly see peoples profile’s on Instagram go from following 400 people to following 1200 people; almost overnight. They do this to gain followers and then immediately turn around and unfollow those who have not followed them back. I see this happen with my own following. There are even apps that allow you to buy followers. It’s sad that many people have turned to these forms of media to create a sense of self-worth and attention.

What happened to our privacy or having portions of your life be private? Doing things without telling everyone what we are doing in this very moment. Enjoying our time out with friends without being glued to our phone so everyone else knows ‘how cool we are.’ Setting aside our ‘fake’ life, for our real one. Doing some volunteer work for someone in need. Or maybe just help a loved one who is going through a rough patch. Doing a nice deed without marketing it to the world. What happened?

Again, I’ll admit social media has a lot of positives when used in the correct way. This has made networking much easier, keeping in contact with those in our lives, and even job opportunities. Overuse and ‘Serial Sharing’ is where I try to draw the line. Don’t you want a bit of privacy in your life? A bit of surprise? People wondering what you’re doing, instead of knowing every waking hour?

I doubt many will read this post, and others may not care. The intent of this was not to offend or discount the people who do this, as it is not about anyone in particular (I’m waiting for people to start blocking me as I hit submit). You all know who I’m referring to, the people who are constantly blowing up your feed. But if I may, I’d like to leave you with one suggestion.

Next time you post, post for a reason. Post because you are passionate. Follow because you have a genuine interest in that person: whether it is their photos, their life, or their passions. Post to inspire. Check-in because you’re at your vacation destination and then let your phone take a comfortable ride in your pocket. Post if you have to (sponsors, money, etc.). Most of all, post because you feel it will bring someone some joy or happiness.

I’m not advocating to boycott social media like many of these other articles around. More, I’m trying to understand the reason behind what is happening in today’s world. Why are people so drawn to all these insignificant platforms that they need to share every detail of their life? Why not keep some things close to you, home, and those you love?

Again, I’ve been guilty. But…

When you’re me, you think about it.