The Death of Stranger Danger

When school kids decades from now are asked what they think the most significant invention of human record is we would be willing to bet that the “internet” will rank high on that list. And this assumption is being made only 40 years after the technology was first developed! We have not even begun to fully realize or understand the impact of the internet on how we do just about everything—including communicate with each other.

But who is the “each other” now that the internet has enabled us to share our thoughts and opinions with just about anyone about anything with a simple click of the mouse? When we post pictures of friends getting married or get involved in an online debate via Facebook usually with many people we don’t know, we have entrusted all of my connections and subsequently their connections not to use these things against us in the future. Scary, right?!

Most of us were raised not to talk to strangers and to be mindful of how what we say and do affects others, but in an online world it seems much of that goes out the door because nothing is private once posted and we communicate with tons of strangers daily. We just aren’t as conscious of it behind a computer screen.

As this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Opinion written by Darlene Vosen states so well:

“Technology is changing so quickly that we haven’t been able to really figure out how it affects us. Nor do we think about the potential consequences of snapping that picture, shooting that video or texting the “first thought” that struck us. Once it is out there on the Internet or YouTube, one can’t take it back. That’s a mind-blowing concept.” <end quote>

This question posed by the author deserves some thought, and we would be interested in hearing from all of you:

So is what we consider private and public changing? Is it the advances in technology, or is it us?