Skip to content
Technology & Innovation

Heavy Cost of Privacy Lost

A young violinist was made suicidal because of a critical byproduct of our time: the small inviolate zone of privacy that we all need has now become virtually impossible to maintain.
Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

“The exposed young violinist was made suicidal because of a critical byproduct of our time: The small inviolate zone of privacy that we all need, and that is absolutely crucial to our psychological equilibrium, has now become virtually impossible to maintain.” The virtual revolution has made us feel empowered. We can quickly gain access to information about anything or anyone. “But if we…consider how we no longer control our own personal information, we may feel distinctly disempowered… Tyler Clementi paid the ultimate price, but none of us are immune to the ravages of being forced to live a public life.”

Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Related
The hospital where Rainn Wilson’s wife and son nearly died became his own personal holy site. There, he discovered that the sacred can exist in places we least expect it. During his talk at A Night of Awe and Wonder, he explained how the awe we feel in moments of courage and love is moral beauty — and following it might be the start of our spiritual revolution.
13 min
with

Up Next