A Piece of Zoe

Is Sharing Really Caring?

I'm sure you know what I did this past weekend.

Why?

Because I told you.

And this goes both ways- I know everything about what's been happening in your life: I know that you had a fight with someone important because of the sad quote you posted on Twitter, I know that your mom made you spaghetti for dinner last night because you posted a photo on Instagram and that it was #yummy, I also know that your friend wants to make plans with you because she misses you and that you're going to do something this weekend at the Waterfront... lastly I know that for 9 minutes and 52 seconds, you've been at Mugg n' Bean in Claremont drinking your absolute favourite- a cappuccino. 

For my generation, this lack of privacy is 'normal'. Our identity was forged in the most broadly public society in recorded history and it thrives on consuming vast amounts of private information about other people, as well as sharing our own. Things almost don't feel real any more until they are virtual…beautiful moments, views, holidays. I do believe however that we should take a moment and a step back to think about how much we really are disclosing and whether or not we are really okay with it. 

I certainly don't blame the sites themselves... I mean, apart from their smart and persuasive 'Join Now' advertisements, they don't coerce us; we choose to sign up and we certainly choose what we share with our 'friends'. 

If I compare these choices to those of our parents- in almost every case it's different. Why? Because this obsession with sharing our every move is is a relatively new phenomenon. They are used to cultivating a slight bit of mystery in their lives and don't understand why we don't feel weird sharing what we're doing, what we're going to be doing, who we're with, what we're eating, where we are, what we're feeling, what we're thinking etc etc etc. It would make them feel exposed and vulnerable. Not that they weren't interested in these facts about other people but they picked it off the grapevine. Does this mean we have less gossip because we preempt it by putting the information out there? Is everything we say we do, are all the photos we post a true reflection of reality? Do you ever look at a post and think 'who the hell cares what you had for dinner'? And all the love, the compliments, the likes and kisses…are they real?  

I don't exactly know my opinion about the above topic but I do think that a little bit of occasional privacy/mystery would serve me (and others) well… and next time I'm in the sharing mood, I'll try and remember to leave something to the imagination.

X Zo