I gave it thought after explaining what privacy meant in childhood for me. It was limited and coveted, and I snatched it up where I could.

If you grew up with siblings, you might remember mornings being noisy, and hectic. Sleepy and having to get ready for school. The journey to which being noisy and busy, either walking or on the bus. Then you get to school, surrounded by lots of people, maybe you get a few minutes to yourself in the toilet or at break, but not often. There was stuff to talk about, and things to do before you had to go back to the confinement of the classroom.

After a long day of constant people and learning, back home again to then do the domestic routine. Getting to be able to go out after school used to be time to unwind. Even though usually spent with friends, it didn’t seem as demanding. Just relaxing and checking things out or being silly. Weekends and school holidays used to be the best for knowing you didn’t have that stupid daily bind. And if you were able to be out of the house, it was great. No-one knew where you were, what you were doing. It was nice, as is the nostalgic thought of it, because I enjoyed those moments then as I do now. My mother wanted to know what I was always up to, and I had an older sibling who was not my ally. And as you learn along the way, some ‘friends’ can’t be trusted either. So, trying to find a bit of peace in yourself in your own time can be a full-time job sometimes. I guess that’s why it seems that privacy and freedom go hand in hand.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t ever go away just because you get older. It turns into employment instead of education, where you still have a schedule and it needs to be maintained. It can be the same for people who chose to stay at home and bring up the kids rather than employment (or insanely juggle both). I realise the need for just five minutes on your own sometimes is necessary for everyone. Especially if you spend a lot of time around people, not everyone understands how draining it can be. Even if it’s your nearest and dearest. (The funny videos on the internet showing this by way of a closed bathroom door and a horde of animals and kids outside waiting). And now there is a new world of busy without even leaving your house or being in the company of anyone, you have The Internet. Where you can feel surrounded and drained without physically being around people at all, it’s an odd thing really. That we allow the perception of it being real, and that they are people we are engaging with, therefore use real emotions and time to deal with it. Maybe that’s why we have so many bots taking up people’s time and stirring the pot perhaps – if that is the case. To take that energy that people freely give and leave them drained and unsatisfied. Not just the fake profiles, real people can do it too, strange though that so many allow it from people who aren’t anywhere near them, or anything to do with them, or who aren’t even people.

Maybe it’s been with us now for so long, the internet, that people don’t understand what privacy and time to yourself is anymore, that it has lost its meaning. Or for some, perhaps they were never comfortable with just their own company, so the idea that they can be ‘with people’ all the time is better for them, which is why they do not complain about the digital society taking over every aspect of life. They welcome it because it gives them a feeling of security, where the previous society caused them anxiety and uncertainty. The digital one appears to offer a friendly network of life and opportunity, people and virtual experiences. Where they will monitor you to tailor everything to you, making it seem as if you are important. And you are, in coding and for numbers only. They need a certain number of ‘players’ to make it work, and see it through to conclusion, and so far, unfortunately, there seems to be lots of willing bodies happy to oblige them. But what of the ones who do not wish to play the game, to insert ourselves into this buckled mainframe and help to create their fantasy illusion of omnipotent overseer. Like skynet, but with a face. I guess we have to see what happens next and how they plan to target the remaining freedoms we have, and those who choose to stand up for them…

(c) K Wicks