The Art of Not Sharing

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the psychological, social, and emotional consequences of the constant sharing of personal information on social media, and proposes journaling as a way to reclaim privacy and authenticity in self-expression.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Normalization of Oversharing

1. What are the key issues discussed regarding the normalization of oversharing on social media?

• The article discusses how the constant input and output of personal information on social media has become so normalized that we barely notice it anymore, despite the psychological, social, and emotional consequences.
• It highlights how privacy has become the exception rather than the default, and how sharing has become the default behavior, leading to situations where relationships are strained or reputations are damaged due to misinterpreted or ill-considered posts.
• The article also discusses how the constant curation of our lives for public consumption creates a feedback loop where we value experiences solely for their shareability rather than their intrinsic worth.

2. How does the article contrast the pre-digital age with the current social media era in terms of privacy and sharing?

• In the pre-digital age, privacy was the default state, and sharing information required effort. Now, privacy requires effort, and we share without thinking, flooding our networks with personal information.
• This reversal has profound implications, as sharing has become the default behavior, leading to the risks and consequences of oversharing.

[02] Journaling as a Radical Act of Privacy

1. What are the key benefits of journaling discussed in the article?

• Journaling provides a space for authentic self-expression, where the author can be completely honest without worrying about judgment or misinterpretation.
• It allows the author to process their experiences more fully, understand their own thoughts and feelings without the distorting lens of public perception, and reflect on their mistakes without the harsh glare of public scrutiny.
• Journaling also helps the author resist the dopamine-driven cycle of social media sharing, as the reward comes from the act of writing itself rather than external validation.

2. How does the article characterize journaling as a "radical act of privacy"?

• The article suggests that in a society that increasingly values visibility over privacy, choosing to keep parts of our lives to ourselves through journaling can feel almost countercultural.
• Journaling is described as a reclamation of something precious: the right to our own thoughts, experiences, and inner lives, in a world where constant sharing has become the norm.