Please respond to the following: James Gleick writes this about privacy: In publ

Question

Please respond to the following:

James Gleick writes this about privacy:

In public opinion surveys, Americans always favor privacy. Then they turn around and sell it cheaply. Most vehemently oppose any suggestions of a national identification system yet volunteer their telephone numbers and mothers’ maiden names and even---grudgingly or not---their social security numbers to merchants bearing discounts or Web services offering “membership” privileges. For most, the abstract notion of privacy suggests a mystical, romantic cowboy-era set of freedoms. Yet in the real world it boils down to matters of small convenience. Certainly where other people’s privacy is concerned, we seem willing to lower our standards. We have become a society with a cavernous appetite for news and gossip. Our era has replaced the tacit, eyes-averted civility of an earlier time with exhibitionism and prying. Even borderline public figures must get used to the nation’s eyes in their bedrooms and pocketbooks. That’s not Big Brother watching us. It’s us.

Explanation / Answer

I full-heartedly agree that Americans seem to sell their own privacy cheaply while simultaneously craving private information about others. Since the dawn of time and the dawn of social classes strict or metaphorical, humans have craved to know the business and every action of a person considered of high social class. We see them as an example, glorifying them similarly to how we perceive gods in religions. They are our examples of good or bad actions, our heroes, and even our villains. So with that being said, the rest of the people prey on what they do to make themselves who they are and what decisions they male. Also our reluctantness of releasing our private information, although it's slightly hypocritical since we expect those of a high status to tell us all, is due to our sense human nature when we think of the "what ifs?" in life and assume someone will do something bad to us if they get hold of the few prized and personal possessions. For example, our social security numbers, last names, or anything else that is something that is only ours or our families that no one can take away from us. It is who we are, hence no one has the same social security number. By the same token, we as humans will still sell our identities for a good bargain. This can be proven through history more and more until today when it is most evident. As the world progresses human feel the need to progress to and own or access the new "fad" or "discovery", like the television, so we sell our souls(our identities) to feel like we moved up a class or progressed. As many can see we as human have the urge to be better than another. Technology which includes science and even religious advancements, has affected the trend towards assessing one another's privacy the most out of any aspect. Think of the technology of even the radio, those who spoke in those simple broadcasts became instant celebrities and we wanted to know their every action or move because they were 'higher class" and we wanted to be like them or to be the opposite of them. This coincides, with our release of our own private information , as well. We would give up our information to purchase a radio so we can listen to these "so called celebrities" or buy any object they have that we didn't Our desire drives us to give away ourselves on a whim, which shows our moments of weakness. These moments of weakness represented by the quote, "You are only human". Technology can be used to affect these trends by advancing in technology or progression in new ideas or thoughts, with an example of this being the roaring twenties. When we advanced, like in the roaring twenties, we desired to know what all the rich and celebrities were doing which resulted in paparazzi and invasion of privacy. When we don't advance for a long period and no new technology is created then the technology is eventually owned by most every person and we no longer care about invading privacy of others because there is nothing new that everyone doesn't have. Also with no technology means no constant purchasing electronic deals and less giving away of our privacy. The advancement or technology is the key factor that can largely affect these trends. However, advancements and technology are always being made and rarely slow down so we continue to throw our private and personal information out the window, as well as, our money.

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