the shiny librarian
I was at a discussion of some kind while at ALA, I honestly forget which. I think it might have been the ACRL Instruction Section discussion on social software. Anyway we at the table began to debate in earnest the merits and methods of teaching students (again, the implied students are those pesky millennials) how to value their privacy.
At first I began by sharing my typical method: show n’ shock (show them stuff and attempt to shock them into giving a crap). Then the woman next to me (delightful, wish I knew who she was) countered by asking why we believe this is something we should be teaching in the first place. Then all hell broke loose. I just got it, I totally knew what she was asking and why.
I hadn’t previously been thinking about it, but I followed up on her question with one of my own. Are we sure there is merit to forcing our values on our students? I mean yes, I want them to know how much info Facebook is sucking down with the potential to sell it, barter with it, or do who-knows-what. But really, just because I give a crap about my privacy and the relationship between my online identity and this (to me) very important concept tells you just that: it’s important to me. The assumption is always that millennial students are too stupid to understand the importance of privacy.
But maybe they do get it…and maybe they just don’t care. I think that every generation can come up with a list of values they embrace that they feel the other generations just don’t get. This is probably true of most cultures, subcultures, etc. These aren’t necessarily values for the masses, y’know. If you want to blast your puketastic weekend photos all over MySpace that’s your business. I might just start approaching you with the idea that you at least think you know what’s best for your image, for your privacy. And if that turns out not to be true? Well, I’m not sure what happens then.
shin·y (shī'nē)
adj.
shin·i·er, shin·i·est
Kevin Moore
July 13th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
That question about privacy came up a couple times during sessions I attended at ALA. Both David Lenkes and Caleb Tucker-Raymond raised the question in their respective ways, David questioning librarian passion about the issue, and Caleb on providing patrons options to regulate their personal information in more sophisticated ways. I think a few people are coming to realize that the necessity to safeguard patron privacy should involve the patron’s consent. And that arguing with millennials about “what is good for them” is just hitting your head against a wall.
ellie
July 15th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Sorry, I’m going against you on this one. We may not be going about it the right way, but education about privacy is important. If they choose to share the same stuff after being educated - that’s their decision. But they probably haven’t had to read 1984 or study McCarthyism. I don’t care if someone is making a profit off of people who choose to share personal information. I do care if the government starts to monitor and regulate. I care if our “get with the times” attitude creates a society where this is considered acceptable. At this point I always feel the need to scream - honestly, I’m not a conspiracy theorist! But with all the monitoring that is being made legal lately and with the kind of hysteria we already know this country (and humanity in general) is capable of, I definitely believe education is incredibly important and cannot be assumed.