Youth & Privacy [Was Re: [LINK] Trends and predictions 2008

[Roger Clarke]

>JWT, the 4th-largest advertising agency in the world (largest in the US)
...
>2. ... the phenomenon of younger people (gen-x, gen-y) being much 
>more open with their personal life than baby-boomers, and less 
>interested in privacy. This will be the new generation gap. I know 
>this to be an issue already, as a friend working in an un-named 
>government department is seriously concerned (along with his 
>colleagues) about the impact of staff being far too 'open' online, 
>and thus creating endless security breaches.

Typically of ad agencies, the proposition is superficial.

A more appropriate set of comparisons is among categories at the same 
stages of their development, e.g. Baby-boomers at 18-26 cf. gen-x at 
18-25 and gen-y at 18-25.

The technologies that were/are available to the three categories of 
people result in different behaviours.

But:
(1)  the implication that the values are much different isn't supported
      by any actual, like, um, er, evidence
(2)  the implication that later-generation people, at the same age,
      will be less concerned about privacy than the Baby-boomers is
      unwarranted

Other reasons why scepticism is needed:
(3)  as is the custom, these occasional, blow-in commentators overlook
      the 'privacy isn't important until it is' phenomenon, i.e. 'privacy'
      is a highly abstract notion that the vast majority of people are
      uninterested in;  but it's a label that is applied to many different
      things that people get very upset about from time to time
(4)  the utterance is by an ad agency, whose interest lies in playing
      down the privacy interest so that it doesn't get in the way of
      their activities


At 10:16 +1100 31/12/07, Ivan Trundle wrote:
>Dear Linkers
>
>JWT, the 4th-largest advertising agency in the world (largest in the 
>US), has released its '80 trends to watch in 2008' (some of which 
>are not so illuminating, such as 'women juggling men', or 'Skype 
>sex'), but I highlight three of the trends that I believe to be of 
>significance interest in 2008 and beyond:
>
>1. Blue replacing green as the colour of the environment

http://www.blueglo.be backed that idea 18 months ago.


>3. The N-11
>The next eleven are considered the emerging nations, after the G8+5 
>(the Group of Eight plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South 
>Africa), and initially coined by the investment bank, Goldman Sachs 
>back in 2005. They are, in alphabetical order: Bangladesh, Egypt, 
>Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South 
>Korea, Turkey and Vietnam. Investment in these countries will be 
>significant in the year to come.

I wonder where Oz and NZ disappeared.


-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
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Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW