Our generation has come of age in a time where personal privacy is a rarity. We are the first generation that has lived much of our lives online, and any of us would guess that—no matter what our privacy settings are—most of our Tweets and Facebook posts are readily available to anyone who is determined to see them. Thus, when former NSA Contractor Edward Snowden released thousands of documents showing that our government was systematically spying on its own citizens, we were probably the generation that was least surprised.
In a way, we’re used to it. The business model of many modern-day tech companies relies on selling our information to advertisers. Most of us have inadvertently allowed this by “agreeing” to some terms and conditions that we may not have read as carefully as we claimed to. This has led many to speculate that Millennials simply don’t care about privacy. When everyone’s daily actions are just a smartphone video away from going viral, does the concept of privacy even exist to us anymore?
The Edward Snowden scandal has brought to light an important generational divide on the privacy issue. Ask most Americans over the age of 40, and they will tell you that Snowden is a traitor to his country who deserves to go to jail. On the other hand, many Millennials view him as a hero, shining light on a disturbing, Big Brother-esque breach of trust by the NSA.
What accounts for this difference? Perhaps its because we view government differently, with many of us distrustful of the bloated, corrupt system that we see far too often. Growing up reading “Brave New World” and “1984” has left us wary of a government that needs to know everything about our lives. We may also think differently about the personal information we voluntarily share, and that which is taken from us without our knowledge or permission.
Whatever the reason, it’s refreshing to see our generation stand up for privacy rights. While we all may be guilty of over-sharing on social media, at the end of the day Millennials are just as concerned as other Americans about governmental overreach and individual rights. After all, what exactly does looking at our Snapchats have to do with national security?