I was recently watching one of my favorite networks, Current TV (interesting setup, check out the format), when they had a five minute minishow about the current state of privacy rights in the United States and, more specifically, how millennials view privacy rights in their world.

As it turns out people under the age of 35 are far less likely to be concerned about what would traditionally be viewed as an invasion of privacy that their older counterparts – camera and video phones, Facebook photos, Twitter and the like are all contributing to a generation that fundamentally does not hold privacy in high regard.

Is this an issue arising from the state of affairs we live in? That is to say are millennials preconditioned to accept their fate and choose not to bother raging against the machine? After all my generation also views peace as the standard way that the world is run; much of this thought can easily be related to the fact that the 80’s and 90’s were times of relative peace, and the time when millennials were adolescent, forming their views of the world.

Is it also possible that this is a direct result of the restrictions to our freedom that took place after the events of September 11th? We can all remember such things as the Patriot Act and the clamping down on all things travel. At the tender age of 24, I am considered an older millennial. In 2001 I was 17 and a senior in high school – the majority of rights that were taken away from me before I even had the chance to turn 18 and take advantage of this. College students of today are right on the cusp of even vividly remembering the events of 9/11. 

What are the ramifications of such an attitude? Well for starters, it is going to become increasingly more acceptable in society to spy on neighbors, be suspicious of outsiders, and accept that some of the basic human rights discussed within the Constitution are disregarded for no reason other than apathy. Do we really want a society where anyone can look into your personal life for no other reason that they can and you don’t care.

Now I do feel that some of these concerns will correct themselves as time goes by. People, such as myself, still care about these issues – we have a keen awareness of how important privacy is to a strong democracy. Furthermore as our generation starts to grow into the decision-makers of the world, things like embarrassing or incriminating Facebook photos will play an all important (if not despicable) role in elections around the country. Things like this blog are meant for public consumption, and I accept any and all future problems that may come with that – things like that frat party where you ran around naked with the words “pi-omega forever” written on your butt may not be the sort of thing you want people to know about.