Online Privacy And Oversharing

Nathan Watson

This has been on my mind. With respect to online privacy, everyone sets their own rules and agendas. Expecting others to share the same level of detail we ourselves disclose is unhealthy. Here are a few thoughts on this matter.

Oversharing as a Trend

You don’t have to share stories or things about yourself or your surroundings because others are doing so. With a growing collective emphasis on being vulnerable and “real” - there are pressures one might feel to open up…to everyone.

To create credibility online, either folks want to be seen as professional or they want to be your relatable best friend. There are hardly any in-betweens. To counteract this push for oversharing, there is also messages online to have boundaries and set clear rules. These two rhetorics play out on your timeline (Twitter/Instagram) or other forms of media you consume. It’s not in any of our best interests to categorize ourselves or to box ourselves into something we’re not.

Mimicked Behavior

One of the complaints regarding social media is that everyone is playing a role and nothing is really true. This usually means the picture-perfect lives people showcase aren’t accurate or healthy. People, whether influencers or regular folks, took notice of this and the push to be vulnerable entered the scene.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; being open is a positive attribute. But if one feels compelled to share their deep emotions or what they’re going through primarily with strangers, it might lead to exhaustion. Or their audience, no matter how small or in the millions, can start to feel entitled to that level of vulnerability.

One person’s oversharing might be another’s typical tweet or sentence.

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