I have had every intention of writing about the book I finished last week, The
Future of Reputation by Daniel Solove, but I have been laid low by a
cold that just won’t let up, and usual when I have a head cold, my brain seems
to go into some kind of "power conservation mode" and leave me
floundering a bit.
When I first picked the book up from the library I delved into it right away
— it is fascinating and really makes one think about how the internet and the
almost instantaneous exchange of information is changing our views of what is
private and what is public in our lives. In fact I was so wrapped up in
the book I read most of it that first night. Then I put it down and
didn’t get back to it, not because it wasn’t interesting, but just because
other things got in the way. The fact that I did not get back to the book
did not mean I stopped thinking about it though.
Many people I know worry about the internet and their children’s exposure to
it and although many of my friends would consider themselves rather technology
savvy, they are often amazed by how adept their children are with new
technology that still confounds them. What I am increasingly wondering
about is how all of this exchange of information affects how people see their
place and their role in society. I suspect that the future isn’t just
about being more connected but that this same connectivity will bring about a
profound shift in how we view the role of the individual in society.
Increasingly I believe that my view (and the view of my generation) of the
role of public versus private is nothing like the view of younger
generations. Perhaps it is some aspect of my own "fuddy
duddy" views (to use a previous generation’s term) but this shift could be
either liberating or enslaving and there is potential for greater good here as
well as for greater control and less freedom.
It is imperative that we look at these issues. It is imperative that
we leap into the pond, even when we are not sure we understand all the new
rules. After all, even though the young may understand the technology
better, and we may feel lost in this new world, it is still our duty to prepare
our young to survive in this world which we may not even understand.
I highly recommend this book. It doesn’t hurt that it is often fun to
read. We all need to consider privacy and how one is protected and what one’s
rights and obligations are in this "brave new world" we are all
dealing with and pretty much taking for granted every day. We all know of
situations where what seemed harmless or meaningless suddenly got out of hand
and turned ugly and we have all been surprised occasionally to learn how little
control we as individuals may have. We have to remember that much
of the instant access granted by the web is viewed completely out of
context. In fact this may sometimes be
the point. There is danger here in that
in any given moment in any given life there is so much that can be
misconstrued. But the effects of that
moment may haunt us forever.
I think we all owe ourselves the effort to think
about the implications