Anonymity Is Dead. Are We All Really Content Now?

A CEO caught on a kiss cam having an affair isn't just the latest social media story gone unexpectedly viral. It's also an indication of a potential new future where ​none of us will be able to enjoy anonymity out in the world​, according to a new piece I read this week. It does immediately seem true that if you happen to misbehave in any way publicly, whether being rude to waiter or simply tripping and falling over ... it's increasingly likely that someone will have a camera to capture your lowest moments and potentially turn them into social media fodder. The depressing conclusion that the article's writer suggests is that there may simply be no way to avoid the unwanted attention:

"Social media has long been a game of roulette with fame at one end and public disgrace at the other ... Living in the panopticon means every person you meet is also someone who can ruin your life ... Once upon a time, public anonymity protected us; now, it seems, the panopticon’s guards surround you. Everyone is one bad day away from going viral and suffering the fallout. All you have to do is leave your house."

When celebrities complain about the costs of fame and invasions of privacy from paparazzi, it is easy for many to dismiss. Too bad, they say, but that's the price of seeking fame. What about the rest of us? While it seems there is no solution here, actually there is. Be deliberate about what you choose not to share. That's it. If we all did that more often, these stories would lose their virality. And maybe it would be possible to be anonymous again.