Tragic consequences of privacy's disappearance
Yes, I've discussed this before--see here and follow the links. And see Chana's post here.
But now I'm serious. Dead serious.
Because an innocent person is dead by his own hand.
Cell phones and the Internet can be deadly weapons. Some people think that it's perfectly acceptable to discuss their private lives on the bus, subway, train, plane, sidewalk, etc. Some people think that it's perfectly acceptable to text while driving. And some people think that it's perfectly acceptable to hide a camera, make a video of their roommate's or friend's sexual encounter, and splash it all over the Internet.
A disregard for the human need for privacy can destroy lives.
See also Threadzofblue's A Response to LGBT Teen Suicide and Noach: Lessons from a Rainbow.
Too Old to Jewschool Steve's correction: " . . . it appears that the roommate and friend viewed the encounter from roommate's remotely activated webcam on his (presumably notebook) computer, rather than a deliberately hidden camera. And I have seen nothing to suggest that what was seen was recorded or "splashed all over the internet".
What was done was bad enough, without my apparent exaggeration.
But now I'm serious. Dead serious.
Because an innocent person is dead by his own hand.
Cell phones and the Internet can be deadly weapons. Some people think that it's perfectly acceptable to discuss their private lives on the bus, subway, train, plane, sidewalk, etc. Some people think that it's perfectly acceptable to text while driving. And some people think that it's perfectly acceptable to hide a camera, make a video of their roommate's or friend's sexual encounter, and splash it all over the Internet.
A disregard for the human need for privacy can destroy lives.
See also Threadzofblue's A Response to LGBT Teen Suicide and Noach: Lessons from a Rainbow.
Too Old to Jewschool Steve's correction: " . . . it appears that the roommate and friend viewed the encounter from roommate's remotely activated webcam on his (presumably notebook) computer, rather than a deliberately hidden camera. And I have seen nothing to suggest that what was seen was recorded or "splashed all over the internet".
What was done was bad enough, without my apparent exaggeration.
posted by Shira Salamone at 10:49 AM
8 Comments:
Very well said and succinctly put. This is another facet of the conversation that needs to be addressed. Not only do we need to rally in support of these vulnerable teens, we must also make it clear that violating someone's privacy and dignity is NOT Ok.
I am about to send my first child off to college. And I live in spitting distance from the Rutgers campus. So I've spent a lot of time thinking about this situation recently.
It is not my intent to excuse the behavior of the roommate or his friend, both of whom seem to lack for the most basic of derech eretz. But I'm finding it very difficult to hold these two solely, if at all, responsible for Tyler's suicide.
Knowing what little I know about adolescent psychology, and the little information that has been made available about this young man, while this may have been the last straw, it wasn't the only factor. There's just so many questions --
-- did he even know about the video?
-- had this reportedly somewhat withdrawn young man attempted suicide before?
-- was he on any medication or was he suffering from depression or other conditions?
As I said, none of this excuses the behavior of the roommate and friend, but I suspect that roommate might have activated his webcam even if the tryst was with a woman, so its difficult to attribute this to homophobia. Can I see it as a form of bullying? Yes. And having been chased home from middle school by cossacks on more than one occasion, I'm sympathetic. But I just don't buy the hate crime allegations here.
Just a quick supplement:
You wrote:
>>And some people think that it's perfectly acceptable to hide a camera, make a video of their roommate's or friend's sexual encounter, and splash it all over the Internet.<<
I have read every available article about this situation (and the reporters covering it are local and connected with RU and the community), and I have seen nothing to suggest that your statement is true. Rather, it appears that the roommate and friend viewed the encounter from roommate's remotely activated webcam on his (presumably notebook) computer, rather than a deliberately hidden camera. And I have seen nothing to suggest that what was seen was recorded or "splashed all over the internet". To roommate's discredit, he attempted to repeat this feat of technology a 2nd time, about which he twittered in advance, but his technology failed him.
If you have other information to correct my understanding, please share it. But if not, you're drawing conclusions which are unsupported by any of the facts disclosed to date. And that contributes to blowing one aspect of this sad affair out of proportion.
TOTJ Steve, it may be that I've misinterpreted something that I read. Thanks for the correction.
One, the idea of a college invasion of privacy is not a new one. See the 1980s classic, Revenge of the Nerds, which makes that one of the core subplots of the movie.
Lousy roommates are not new.
What is new is the ability of people to create a permanent record of teenage "growing up" years.
In addition, roommates feel like a relic of another era. When the idea was to interact with someone "different," where different was the other rich sons from across the country meeting in college before joining family businesses. The face that in 2010, children are randomly assigned into a room with a stranger whose only similarity is gender seems freaking bizarre, given society's changes.
"What is new is the ability of people to create a permanent record of teenage "growing up" years."
Sadly true, Miami Al.
"The face that in 2010, children are randomly assigned into a room with a stranger whose only similarity is gender seems freaking bizarre, given society's changes."
That's an interesting point, but not really new--I, too, was assigned a random roommate, and I was in college in the late 60's.
Shira,
Random roommates is not new. Social changes are.
In the 1960s, everyone going to a secular college was generally a Protestant, Secular Catholic, or Secular Jew. Gay students were not generally out of the closet, etc.
While pairing a bible thumping evangelical, devout muslim, etc., with a Hindu (Pagan) student, or openly gay student, may match with someone's goals of diversity, it is certainly going to put students in an uncomfortable "home" situation for the year.
Privacy laws need to be enhanced, with serious prison time. 2-3 students need to get a 15-20 year prison sentence for an illegal wiretap, and this problem solves itself.
" . . . it is certainly going to put students in an uncomfortable "home" situation for the year."
I don't suppose there's any good answer for that.
"Privacy laws need to be enhanced, with serious prison time."
I agree. If our society is serious about maintaining an individual's right to privacy, we must institute laws punish violations thereof.
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