Social Networking Sites are very famous among young people, especially here in the Philippines. Almost majority of the youth have their own accounts in various SNS. Some say that it is through these sites that they get to meet a lot of new friends, while others say that their sole reason is to reconnect with their loved ones abroad, or their ‘long-lost friends’.
While it is true that SNS provide an avenue for people to actually create a new connection and at the same time rebuild an old connection, I believe there’s this one more thing that caused people to join these sites—and that is, to have their own space wherein they could just have their own piece of privacy.
Personally, I have the same mindset the first time I had my personal site. I always want to have the privacy I can’t get from my own room, or by writing a diary (which can be read by anyone whenever you’re not around). For me, privacy in the web starts with choosing your own email address, securing your site with a password, and basically having the freedom to write whatever you want to say with an option of having it published or keeping it private.
But as time goes on, I realized that I was wrong because today, we get super exposed in the internet. Our personal information are out in the open and are available for everyone to see. Here are some proofs:
- We can be searched in the web by just merely typing our names.
- Tagging makes it easier for other people to locate our whereabouts in the web. Results will show the different sites we’re in, our blog posts (even the personal ones), our photos, and so on.
- People are fond of posting bulletin posts in Friendster which sometimes contain surveys asking very personal questions,
- Everyone will know whatever we are doing through our posts/updates in facebook, twitter, and plurk.
- Our replies in other persons’ posts are also visible even to people not on our contacts (particularly in Facebook and Friendster)
- Our personal videos in YouTube may be accessible to people and may use it without our consent.
- Photos can be easily grabbed and downloaded.
- Most of all, hackers are already surrounding the web, making our personal sites susceptible to hacking and from manipulation of information by these hackers.
All these and more only prove how we can be a ‘public figure’ in our quest for having a more private space. It is not wrong to write some things about ourselves in our personal sites. All we have to do is to be more careful and mindful of what we write and what we post. Because at the end of the day, it is still our ‘privacy’ and ‘personal lives’ that are at risk. 
October 7, 2009 at 3:52 pm
One’s privacy is not really secured online. One can only do so much by changing the privacy settings of their accounts. But just to be really safe, I have to agree with what you said on being more careful on what we post and what we disclose online.
October 12, 2009 at 9:54 am
That’s why I encourage adding only those you really know in SNS. And yes, discreetness of information is key.
October 21, 2009 at 2:12 pm
‘Here, here’ to the last paragraph.
When you go and share your thoughts online, you’re opening yourself to a lot of things – praise, criticism and everything in between. One cannot expect everyone to instantly understand his giddy statements or angry outbursts – that is why he has to always choose what he is sharing, while making sure that he is staying true to himself. And, although it’s good to have an online outlet, nothing beats personally sharing to the people you really trust. 
See you soon, Eunice! 
October 24, 2009 at 5:50 am
being in the sns’ entails sharing a part you. but as they said, you can only give much as your personal security is more important.
October 27, 2009 at 6:50 am
“I always want to have the privacy I can’t get from my own room, or by writing a diary (which can be read by anyone whenever you’re not around).” –this reminded me of my sister’s diary which i happened to read because it was left in an ‘unsecured’ place. eep. probably the reason why i never wanted to have a diary. haha.