My training is a a journalist. I spent many years as a broadcaster, getting out of the business just as myspace was taking hold. Fortunately, I did not have to open myself up to further invasions of privacy, as being recognized in public when with family or while trying to grocery shop or conduct other business is distressing enough. I cannot personally imagine other aspects of my life being open to comment by individuals who barely know me. Thus, I find the advent of social media, and the generation who has known no other existence, perplexing. On one hand, we/they lament the lack of privacy and the knowledge that all of our electronic communications are being tracked. On the other hand these same individuals freely share not only the mundane aspects of their lives, but also things that in the past would have been kept out of the public eye. This article speaks to that. I am sharing it in the event you did not delve into the additional resources this week. It is not only relevant to the course, but also to our current social situation in the larger world.
The attached article http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/02/24/privacy-management-on-social-media-sites/ addresses attitudes and behaviours, as well as associated demographics engaging in and exhibiting said attitudes and behaviours. Interestingly, women seem to guard their privacy more actively, limiting access to their profiles, and 'unfriending' more often than men. As for effectively using those privacy controls, the article boldly points out that those with the most education seem to have the most problems effectively enacting said controls. And while privacy does concern a majority of social media users to the point that they set their profiles to 'private' a scant 11% say they have actually posted something they regret.
The research is from the Pew Internet project, and is easy to read. I suggest anyone interested in privacy and the behaviours of those engaging in social media take a moment and read the study.
started by c maggard on 05 Sep 14
The attached article http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/02/24/privacy-management-on-social-media-sites/ addresses attitudes and behaviours, as well as associated demographics engaging in and exhibiting said attitudes and behaviours. Interestingly, women seem to guard their privacy more actively, limiting access to their profiles, and 'unfriending' more often than men. As for effectively using those privacy controls, the article boldly points out that those with the most education seem to have the most problems effectively enacting said controls. And while privacy does concern a majority of social media users to the point that they set their profiles to 'private' a scant 11% say they have actually posted something they regret.
The research is from the Pew Internet project, and is easy to read. I suggest anyone interested in privacy and the behaviours of those engaging in social media take a moment and read the study.