MCM 0230 S01: Digital Media

After reading  my past blog posts, I think an interesting subject/topic to examine would be what Boyd thinks of privacy, for two major target groups of people: teenagers and celebrities. For teens, I think one of the biggest reasons why they want privacy yet overly expose at the same time is the exact fact that they are aware of the fragility of their privacy. What this means is that, while teens may not understand very clearly the potential consequences following the things they do online, they see online-sharing as a means to exercise their right to select who they directly allow inside of their “bubble” or friend group. When they are aware of the fact that adults are watching and reading, they grow anxious as they realize how easily this power could be taken away from them. As a result of this anxiety, when teens share, they avoid being seen by authority figures such as their parents or their teachers, not only because of the content of their public comments, but also because they do not want to be controlled. Just like how in reality, teens feel a sense of self-empowerment and independence when they act, knowing that their parents are not watching over them, teens online have the similar mentality. It’s just that this rebellious sentiment gets magnified when online, because as more teens hang out with their friends online more often, they grow increasingly aware of the fact that their parents, who are also using the Internet, become the invisible guardian, a shadow that’s hanging over them, much like the guard who stands in the middle of the panopticon. As the teens’ power grow online because of the ability of the Internet to decrease the effects of time and space, the adults’ power grows at the same time; while one party tries to increasingly exercise their power, the other party desperately uses all means to catch their misbehavior. With a little help from the rebelliousness, teens often find themselves over-exposing, but not able to turn back to admit they have been wrong.