The Price of Privacy In A World Governed by Power

Someone who writes something behind a legal name is not necessarily more credible than someone who chooses anonymity. People who choose anonymity and privacy might do so for several reasons; the main one being justice not being really just. Those who hold power and are popular within some circles, will always be favored regardless if they are in the wrong. Popular entertainment shows usually teach us otherwise. They are created for the unpopular public that still has hope that things just might be otherwise.

Our world is ambiguous. The internet world amplifies this effect. Truth and fact are controlled by what is popular and already established as status quo. Those in power stay in power because they can oust any objection from lower social ranks just by summoning their position and connections. Privacy and anonymity occur as a natural reaction to this phenomenon. This way of life becomes a necessity in a world were you can be stigmatized if you happen to have an opposing view.

Privacy is becoming rare since we have been convinced that we are all promising stars, ready to shine. Clueless about our internet value, we choose to sell our identity, location, preferences and friends to corporations for ambiguous fame and exposure. All animals have their weak points when hunted. Ducks have the squeaky whistles, predatory animals fall for carcasses. Humans fall for the bait of popularity.

Anonymous opinions are thus almost always discarded since people value popularity. In a world were fake news become real news and real news are fake, it is becoming increasingly hard to distinguish what is and what not. Traditionally in our species, those who follow the pack have better chances of survival since there is safety in numbers. This illusion though is a mere statistical fluke in the minds of those following the herd. The matter of fact is that those standing independently might be prone to lose a lot from factual information but they will also be immune to the mass manipulation that prevails.