A Drive to Share

I've just finished reading a great book, called 'Blind Faith' by Ben Elton. I'm not writing so much to recommend it, although if you like the idea of a stark, challenging, non-PC, satirical and deeply cynical thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world then I thoroughly recommend it! Rather, what I want to reflect on is one of it's central premises: in essence the book portrays a world where full and open disclosure of everything you do is no longer a choice but is actually a moral and legal requirement. Everything you eat, think, and do - births, birthdays, parties, accidents, thoughts - at home and at work. Everything. Privacy is a crime. Furthermore the government collects, tabulates and cross-references everything. It knows your every movement, ever. What you bought, drank, whom you kissed, shouted at and what you read.

Now, the irony that you're reading this in a blog is not completely lost on me. However, no one made me write it, and my topics, depth of discussion and opinions are all of my own volition. There's no Big Brother to review or to appease. And, equally, I realize that the book exaggerates to make its extreme point. But look how quickly social networking websites have grown; look at the apparent eagerness of people to get their 15 minutes of fame on Springer, Big Brother or a host of 'reality' shows to prove to the world that they cannot dress properly, cook, or successfully meet the opposite sex. There are websites where people chronicle what they eat! YouTube seems tame and sophisticated by comparison. So, is the book's premise really so bizarre of an exaggeration? Avatars build companies and marry in the virtual world for all to see, while at times their private, personal, real lives fall apart. And it seems even the famous can't wait to share things like their iPod playlists: from an article that - serendipitously - I happened upon as I took a break from writing this piece, I discovered that George Bush likes country and western, while Nicolas Sarkozy likes to jog to Elvis and Johnny Hallyday. And, apparently, everyone in the public eye loves the Rolling Stones!? They must represent just the right mix of 'edge' and 'safety'. But at least this 'sharing' still has an element of room for spin. Why else would the presidential hopefuls or Michael Phelps feel the need to let us know their musical tastes? You can bet they wouldn't tell us if the list was Bread, Bach and The Wiggles!! And there's the point - right now, 'sharing' is growing by leaps and bounds BUT we are still the owners of most of our own 'intellectual property', shaping our stories, our 'reality' and molding those attitudes and opinions that we choose to offer to the world. Despite appearances, and somewhat ironically, there's actually plenty of privacy in all the public sharing we have today.

Imagine a world devoid of imagination.....it doesn't bear thinking about, does.it?..