From a very interesting article on Facebook and the ever evolving definition of privacy from Ari Melber's piece in The Nation. What I found interesting about this piece was that it really captures how NOT savvy most teens are when it comes to really examining their default privacy settings. Granted, lots of adult Facebook users leave default settings, too, but given the perception of wired youth as being more advanced than the rest of us...well, when it comes to some stuff, they aren't:

Even if this generation of Internet users is truly developing a "new privacy" concept that prioritizes nuanced control, they largely fail on their own terms. Most users do not exercise any real authority over their information; they accept default exposure settings, post to huge networks and transfer ownership of their social media productions to entertainment businesses. Thus "control" devolves to the thousands of people in their networks and the business models of ambitious companies. The entire social network ecosystem, with its detailed records, pictures and videos of formative years, can completely change on a company's whim. Most users are left relying on the kindness of strangers and the benevolence of business...

...The problem, of course, is that playing with reality online is riskier than playing with video games and anonymous screen names. Young people are recording their lives in minute detail, enabling unprecedented experiences, exposure and evidence that will outlast their youth. Social networking is a free service, but abdicating control of personal information, photos, writing, videos and memories seems like a high price to pay.

Posted by anastasia