Is there even such a thing called privacy these days?

I recently got a Facebook friend request from my mother. I immediately declined. Why would i want my mother as a friend on Facebook? and secondly Why would she want to be connected to me? I asked her shortly after i rejected her. She told me she just wanted to see what i was up too, along with all my other aunties and uncles who had tried to send me a request.

In saying this, I have no problem with being friends with them, i just feel as though it is an invasion of my privacy. Surveillance was a foreign term to me before taking this class. After talking in tutorial discussions about this term, i realised how i could identity with it personally.

Social networking sites scream SURVEILLANCE to me. Alot of my younger cousins have to add their mum and dad so they know exactly who they are talking to and what they are talking about. This is totally justifiable as more and more teenagers are being targeted by pedophiles and bullies. There was a recent story on the news about a girl who was subjected to commiting suicide as part of a practical joke that was made by a group of bullies at her school.

For my friends and I, the term surveillance can be linked to numerous things. Firstly, Facebook is a great site for us to monitor our potential suitors,ex boyfriends and current boyfriends. As long as your connected with them you can see their msg history and who they have added. Sounds stalker i know but its the truth.

Twitter has evolved into a space where fans can go and get up-to date information about what they're favourite celebs a doing. For celebrities, Twitter is a space where they can market their name and also advertise new movies, albums and business ventures etc.

In saying this, people shouldnt air their dirty laundrey online. It is just going to eventually hit you in the behind as employers are now able to access facebook content tracing back to your highschool years. In relation to the title of this post, i pose the question if there even is a thing called privacy these days? With the introduction and popularity of social networking sites, more personal content is available to the public. Privacy settings can help protect you, however it is up to the user to chose who they interact with and what sites they use online.

Music Piracy

I was recently thinking about the last time i brought a CD. To this day i still cant even remember the last album i brought which is a little disheartening to think. Sites like Limewire and Bearshare have targeted young music listeners, who honestly do not have the money to purchase CDS to illegally download music. Even before sites like limewire and Bearshare, my friends and i would use tapes (yes tapes) to record music off the radio.

I will be honest, i have downloaded all my music content over th years, or have given my ipod to a friend to update- who has also illegally downloaded their music too. I dont think that there is any harm in this and the only people it really affects are the music artists who have enough money as it is.

The piracy advertisements that are shown before you go into the movies or before you watch a dvd seem like annoying bids to try and get people to stop downloading music and films. Placing laws on this i feel hasnt helped at all because nearly everyone downloads music these days and people are just going to continue to download their music content. Itunes however have helped decrease music piracy to an extent. Being a university student, i still cant justify spending $2.50 for a song where i could just get it for free from a site like Limewire.

I think for illegal downloaders, they feel there is no-way they can get caught online. Piracy advertisements arent doing their job if more and more people are still downloading. The cost of CDs i feel have increased so there is no reason as to why people are going to stop. Governments should just make it legal and music artists will just need to find alternative ways for people to buy their music. Maybe by partnering with sites like Limewire and Bearshare. Its a start anyways.

Online Dating

Society's traditional ways of dating focused on courtship. Men were expected to make the first move and were also expected to be the perfect gentlemen. Whether it was asking the girl for the first dance, making the first phone call, opening doors, pulling chairs out etc- it was always the males responsibility to approach his potential suitor. Fast forward to the 21st century and the womem of today are expressing notions of female independance and empowerment. It is no wonder why it may be harder for guys to approach a successful lady or if anything any woman he comes accross.

Week fours lecture on sexuality and intimacy online brought forth ideas linked to self presentation. Luke outlines points about 1) being unique without standing out too much and 2) being attractive and being real. I immediatley started thinking about the numerous advantages that online dating presented. In terms of self presentation-bad hair days and the constant "i have nothing to wear" scenarios will bever put you in freak-out mode.

Online dating services are now the go-to-place for singles. Nowadays people really dont have time to go on pointless blind dates. The convenience of online dating eliminates time wasted on dating non-suitable potentials. An advantage to online dating is the elimination of dating expenses. These expenses being dinner, movie and drink costs etc. You can discover fatal flaws of acquaintances before meeting in person.

In addition tot his, rejection is much less messy, hurtful and embarrassing. Conversations online can also be more to the point so that questions dealing with compatibility can involve less emotional risk. A video i found on youtube looked at the success of online dating service e-harmony. The site does the picking for you ny picking patterns between you and suitable potentials.

Sites like e-harmony and match.com have allowed people to see and catergorize potential suitors based on their likes and interests. I am all for online dating and even have clost family members who have met online and are now in happy marriages.

Check out the video on how e-harmony, an online dating service works. This service also has over 19million users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYS5JtIjA-M

Facebook in Reality

I was youtube surfing when i came across a video where they asked the question: What would it be like if Facebook was actually played out in real life? It was quite hillarious to see the processes that occur when accepting friends, looking at photos and captions, status updates and privacy issues. Putting the processes in a real life setting showed how unrealistic the communication tools where if transferred into the real world. Although they were pulling the mickey out of it, it was funny to see how Facebook has changed the way people reconnect with friends and family online.

In reality, processes to connect and communicate with friends is much more easier. Well personally thats what I think. For instance, you dont have to 'poke' someone to get their attention, send a friend request in the hope they would accept and finally find the best possible photo that makes you look 10kgs lighter. The convenience of sites like Facebook make them more appealing to users. We have become a lazy society.

Todd Kelsey in his book Social networking spaces: From Facebook to Twitter and everything in between states that "Part of the reason Facebook took off in the school environment is because Facebook is inherently social. E.g. you can sign in, see who is on someones list of friends, and you can invite people to be your friends"(2010)

In reality, people arent that socially forward. Facebook offers people with a space to be more confident- especially to those more socially reserved. Although it is a great way to reconnect with old friends and family, would you really talk to every single person on your friends list if you were connected in a real life setting?

What do we really learn about our "online friends" too? Social gossiping and social status are a few of the main things that we can identity from snooping at status updates and recent photos. In reality, privacy is more apparent and it is harder to have a nosey into other peoples business. Facebook lets users put on a show into their world. This may be an over exaggerated view, however it may not be authentic.

Being the worlds largest social networking site, i guess it shows how much society is evolving in terms of communication. Ten years from now, Facebook may be dead (just like how hi-5, another SNS fell to the ground after SNS Bebo took off). Watch this space i say.

Check out the link to the youtube video: 'FACEBOOK IN REALITY'




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrlSkU0TFLs