Privacy in the Age of the Internet

Ummmm, hellooooooo. Sorry that I have been MIA. Really sorry.  I have had some s**t going on that is well, it is just not blog worthy.  And this is saying a whole lot since I am pretty much an open book.

My “inner turtle” – that part of me that closes down when things get beyond intense, when I feel the need to protect myself – has been on call 24/7 the past week.  I’ve had some weird ass stuff happen that has propelled me into my protective shell.

My incidents – that I am going to keep to myself if you don’t mind – have gotten me thinking about privacy in an overshared world. The truth of the matter is that thanks to blogging and social media posting, we are subject to countless and silent attempts at mining information about our habits, health, opinions and more either indirectly or because of our own doing.

From the time I started writing – both the blog and the books – I have been committed to sharing information that helps me navigate life during and after a cancer experience. That has literally been my sole (or is it soul?) purpose.

An unintended consequence is the fact that I am out there for the world to see. Up until now, I never thought that was a bad thing. I always saw it (and intended it to be) helpful and hopeful. However, best laid plans…

What I have learned – the hard way, of course (why is it alwaaaaays the hard way?) – is that things don’t always turn out that way I imagine and that there unintended consequences that stem from being so connected.  My cell phone, email, web browser and social media sites are just a few of the technologies that I use on a daily basis to communicate with family, friends and readers. However, they are also producing digital footprints that leave me vulnerable and exposed. I’m not so crazy about being able to be tracked and accessed so easily, to be honest with you.

And yet, having an online presence is what I do. Finding the right balance between what to share and what not share or simply avoiding common mistakes isn’t always easy. As technology advances, trying to maintain privacy on the Internet has become increasingly difficult for everyone, not just me. I’m trying to figure it all out. I don’t know where these musings will lead, but I’ll certainly keep you posted.

In the meantime, one thing that I have come to know for sure (and hope that you will too):  “what happens on the Internet, stays on the Internet.”