Transcript:

Hi, my name is Carrie and my Triptych uses a house to display the past, present, and future of information sharing. 

In the past, information sharing was fairly limited. Keeping personal thoughts and ideas to yourself was the norm and information about you and your family was primarily spread through gossip and word of mouth. This “hush-hush” era is depicted in frame 1 with a house that has small windows, mostly closed the shades. People can peek inside to get a small glimpse, but they don’t have access to much information about you and what is going on inside. 

In the present, our lives are completely exposed. With the extreme popularity and accessibility of social media to anyone with internet access, pressure to share and even over-share information about your life is considered the new norm. This is often a more prevalent issue with younger people, who don’t always understand the consequences of posting things on the internet. Once pictures, quotes, and information is posted, it can never be permanently erased. This can be detrimental to professional lives, personal lives, and safety. Additionally, our data is often leaked and sold by massive companies. Recent data breaches, such as the ones with Facebook and AT&T, have exposed the private information of thousands of people. Ironically enough, Facebook is one of the leading corporations in discussing privacy reform, attempting to put settings and algorithms in place to defend its user’s privacy. Moreover, our information and data is being shared without specific knowledge on how, where, or why it is being shared. We know that our phones and Alexa are constantly listening to us. Yet, it still surprises me when I mention a product and it magically shows up on my Instagram feed later that day. I can’t help but be reminded of George Orwell’s prescient novel, 1984, where the government kept a watchful eye on everyone using microphones and cameras. The house with huge windows with no shades looking into a bathroom depicts our lack of control over what information is shared about us nowadays. Everything is out in the open, and we don’t have the option to close the shades. Anyone with eyes can look inside and see what’s going on, whether you want them to or not. We are both literally and figuratively exposed.

In the future, I imagine (and am hopeful) that we will have more control over our personal information. There will be more effective laws and regulations to protect our privacy and prevent data breaches, while still allowing us the freedom to share what and when we like. By then, people will also hopefully be more educated and have a better understanding of the ramifications of putting things up on the internet so they can avoid regretful posting. This optimistic view is depicted through the house with moderate-sized windows with shades. We can decide when the curtains are open or closed, and have the power to decide what is known to the public and what is kept private. Lastly, you’ll notice a doorbell on this house, representing the ability for people to come in if we allow it. We make to make the decision of who to let in and when we let them in. 

This Tryptic only skims the surface of the depth of the issue of privacy. I hope to get you thinking about where we were, where we will go, and how we can get there. Thank you for listening!