“Natural selection will not remove ignorance from future generations” -Richard Dawkins
Most people would be surprised to learn how universally watched they already are. Granted, that watching is mainly done by advertising firms and such at this point, but folks in the modern world are as far from being anonymous as they are from being billionaires.
We upload pictures to Facebook. We tag things on Instagram. We carry smartphones that track our locations at any given second. We pass hundreds of cameras every day. We use credit cards, online banking, Internet marketplaces, and a whole slew of other conveniences that make us stand out like shining beacons with dollar signs all over them.
Everyone was shocked and appalled when Edward Snowden released evidence of the NSA’s domestic surveillance program. In the future, though, they’ll just accept that sort of thing as a fact of life… and what’s more, they’ll feel like it’s necessary for their safety.
Imagine the world in which you are monitored literally all the time. If ever a crime is committed, a judge will be able to simply pull up the footage and lay down a verdict. Minor offenses like speeding will be recognized and dealt with electronically, via a fine that automatically deducts from your bank account… and any attempt at seizing a greater measure of privacy will be seen as deviant behavior. Take one wrong step, and you’ll suddenly be faced with charge after charge that had seemingly gone unnoticed before.
Still, maybe this is all a bit of an extreme perspective. Maybe I’m only a tinfoil hat away from being a crackpot.
Keep an eye out sometimes, though. Ask yourself how many opportunities someone might have to observe you during a normal day in your life.
Privacy is already on its last legs in the so-called civilized world.
Not long from now, it will be completely dead… and our children will celebrate its passing.
Bloggers:
Jeyta (Twitter: Jeyta_Paul)
Shubhankar Kumar (Twitter: Shubhankar_me)
Happy Blogging !!
Gennextcommoner's Blog 