I grew up in the shadow of the Internet and the rise of social media.
I was a teenager during the explosion of the Internet into the public consciousness during the mid-90s. My first experience of the Internet was at one of the then-new, now-extinct Internet cafés; later, at friends houses and at my high school’s library, and much later at home, surfing on speeds laughable now. The screech and whine of two modems negotiating over a phone line will forever be burned into my memory.
I was a young adult in the era of MySpace, Friendster, and Multiply – I started blogging on LiveJournal and elsewhere some time in 2002. I hopped onto Facebook sometime around 2007 when they started to open access to the public at large.
And yet I find myself still uneasy about what I share online.
I mean, sure, there are a lot of details I’ve been previously comfortable sharing, but as I grow older, I find myself slowly feeling strange about what I let complete strangers know about me. There used to be a more porous barrier between my public persona and my private life, and in the years since I’ve felt that barrier grow more and more defined, more closed off.
I’m by no means a public figure, mind you – although admittedly, I might have some level of notoriety in the local tech community. Which makes me wonder, why keep a blog? Why write at all?
I’d like to think that my opinions do matter, and that I do need to share them with the world. But what about the more mundane things of my everyday life? Effectively, that’s what I’m doing, writing about them here. Last I wrote here, I wrote about big changes going in my life – but afterwards, I felt a little uneasy about it. Not to the extent of taking down the post; instead, I felt odd writing it, and thinking about what was off-limits and what wasn’t.
I guess I’ve always felt that I’m a quite private person, and that is in a way antithetical to writing a blog, of all things.
I’m super excited though about all of the things happening in my life, but it still feels odd to me to share it with strangers. Maybe I’ll figure out the right balance along the way: what I really feel comfortable writing about with regards to my personal affairs, and what I feel strongly should be kept private.
One thing I’m certain about though: I’m not going to stop writing here.
Now, if you don’t mind – get off my lawn.
Previously: Life Changes