In our Web 3.0 world, as we share our identities so publicly with everyone else, standing out from the crowd, raising one’s voice against collective conventionality, is becoming increasingly difficult.
Diversity of culture rests on us being able to withdraw from society, to stand apart, to be private from public opinion. Privacy, solitude and the space to develop the mystery of personality; these are the real agencies of societal progress. The social power of the introvert is now well known. And as 21st-century society increasingly migrates to the internet, we need to learn how to remain ourselves, or how to build a social network that promotes quiet, that offers a safe retreat for unconventional individuals.
“The transparency is too good to be true … What lies behind this falsely transparent world?” asks Jean Baudrillard. Behind today’s digital transparency, I am afraid, lies a society splintered and weakened by today’s narcissistic online spectacle. Secrecy and mystery are the most efficacious societal glues. Saying nothing might be the most social value of all.
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Does society benefit when we share personal information online? Or do social networks prompt us to publish unhealthy amounts of personal data, while little enriching our lives? Author Andrew Keen and journalism professor Jeff Jarvis lead the arguments in our debate.
(via theeconomist)
(via theeconomist)
