Is Social Networking the Real Big Brother?

Do you remember a time when Americans were concerned about Big Brother, when books like George Orwell’s 1984 struck terror into the heart of Americans?

The Thought Police had sounds and pictures transmitted to it from the homes by the Telescreens.

When this was published in 1949, people were frightened by the idea that the government would know their innermost thoughts and actions.

 Fast forward 61 years –

Now, people Tweet their location, put their deepest thoughts on Facebook and post pictures that might best be kept private.  All of this information is put out in the public domain.  Worse yet for privacy, it’s put out not just to the government, but to the public.  The internet is a great promulgator of information; it disperses huge amounts of information around the world instantly, with little or no ability to remove that information from the public domain thereafter.

Where are we 6 decades later?  Do Americans still believe in privacy?  Is this different because people are choosing to give up their privacy and not having it taken by the government?  Will this lead to a lack of right to privacy later?

What do you think? 

© 2010 by Christine Donovan, All Rights Reserved.  Is Social Networking the Real Big Brother?