Like most young people of this decade, I've got a lot to say and a whole internet to scream it into. But sharing things online is not so simple as just blabbering out whatever pops into my head and forcing it onto people's timelines. I am increasingly aware of the online footprint we all leave and how vital it is to be responsible for what you say.
Beyond responsibility, there's also the matter of privacy, which is a concept that can be surprisingly easy to lose sight of. Who hears about my personal musings, my opinions, the happenings of my life? Back in 'the day' (meaning pre-social media), you could be pretty sure that when you said something, you knew who was listening. Not that secrets didn't slip out in the personal circles of yesteryear or that reputations weren't made as people uncovered knowledge of the thoughts and feelings of others. Now, anyone with the mind to Google a person's name can get at least a little information and sometimes pretty much a whole life story from an unguarded Facebook or twitter. So who knows who hears about me and my ramblings? Anyone might.
I've come to something of an impasse regarding the Odyssey. A platform like this thrives on viral content and thoughts and ideas that take on lives of their own as they're swept up in the internet vortex. Even if a story doesn't go viral, people on the author's Facebook friend list all have a chance of seeing and opening a story. When I think about my friends on Facebook, I think how little know most of them, how my personal life isn't something I'd share with 98% of them. Even if only a handful of them see it, who knows who might click the link. That embarrassing middle school crush? An ex-friend? A teacher I added after graduation? Some family member I haven't seen in years? Impossible to say. Then imagine that intensified if a post, tweet, or article gets a lot of attention. Anyone, everyone could see it.
That's the challenge of writing, especially when anonymity and privacy are less and less obtainable. And perhaps it's for that best that this platform forces content creators to be intimately tied to their work. Certainly, it has made me more concerned with sensitivity, focused on how readers will respond. Perhaps the shyness will make my convictions more nuanced and full when I do share them, and I'll be better for this period of intensified insecurity about the words I write. Or I might never get over and keep writing meme filled listicles 'til I die.
If you've read this, I hope you bear with me as things may get more interesting once I find my footing.
