We are all public in ways we have never been before. It also offers unparalleled privacy.
Eventually, my mother picked up the phone in her room, and her voice came through. “I'm OW's mom. It's time for OW to go to bed.”
Every day, we send our thoughts, photos, and videos into cyberspace, where they are seen by countless strangers – people we have never met and never will.
Still, we could go days without talking to another soul, even when living in the heart of a busy city. I was able to order food online and have it delivered to my home. Order all items on Amazon and receive them within a few days. work remotely. Never leave.
hide in public
We are participating in some kind of technology exhibition, almost science fiction, but at the same time we all have the ability to become hermits at any time.
It's a surprising juxtaposition, typical of an age of technological advancement and material abundance.
We want privacy. No one wants to be crowded. It's part of our inner human desire for open space, yearning for vast horizons, wide skies, and places where we can stretch our arms wide. To be alone.
But that's a conundrum. We pursue this with all our might, but in the end, when we no longer need anyone else, something deeply alienating hits us. When we have all the privacy in the world, all we want is to have someone there.
plenty of space
Look at family life. Part of it is being forced to be together even when you don't want to be. Less privacy and more face-to-face interaction. We are all around each other whether we like it or not.
But today, more children than ever before have their own rooms. That may sound like a good thing on the surface. Who wouldn't want more space?
But is that a good thing? Why does a child need his own room? Why does he have to be alone so much? He isn't.
Some argue that the paralysis of introversion as we know it today may be related to the fact that many children grow up in their own rooms. Children who grow up with this kind of privacy and alone time become withdrawn. They do not need to participate in family life.
Everything becomes quieter and softer. That becomes their standard. If you don't force yourself to be with them, you'll end up being alone, and being with them will make you uncomfortable. Too much privacy paralyzes introverts.
cut the cord
We didn't have a landline phone until I was in high school. I stayed up late talking to my girlfriend. I dragged the long, curly phone cord from the kitchen back into the study.
Eventually, my mother picked up the phone in her room, and her voice came through. “I'm OW's mom. It's time for OW to go to bed.”
In short, it was embarrassing. I knew it was going to happen every time, but it never got easier. I would have loved to have my own cell phone and be able to talk to my girlfriend in complete privacy without having to worry about everyone hearing or my mom chiming in on the phone.
family plan
But is it okay to have something just because you want it? No, of course not. We understand this about many obvious things. But this, or privacy, is not so obvious. It may sound strange, but when my mom answers the phone while I'm talking to my girlfriend, it feels like family.
Having to call my high school girlfriend's house, have her dad come pick me up, and then ask if I can talk to her feels kind of like family. It's not your family, it's her family. The fact that she is part of something else, the fact that her family is in another room, they know who you are, you have to go through them to talk to her I want the fact that she has no privacy at all. There's something right about this. That's how we should grow.
We may long for simple peace and quiet, a space of our own. The pursuit of privacy may inspire us to build, grow, and conquer. We all work hard to make sure we have as much space as we want. Finally we all have our own rooms, our own phones, our own cars, and our own lives. Hmm, I guess I'm lonely.
