My adoring and encouraging husband is a huge reason why I started this blog. A lack of a daily outlet for my creativity is another. So much of who I am as a person in real life is what led me to create this virtual personality which I am posting on the internet for anyone to see. I did a lot of thinking when the idea of seektobemerry was born about how much was too much to share. While my audience is mostly comprised of family and friends for now, I’ve been lectured one too many times by my Dad about the dangers of putting “could bite you in the ass” photos and information on the internet. Dr. H, as I will be calling my husband from here on out, works in the internet business and I work in law so as you might imagine, our thoughts on the importance of privacy are a tad different. For example, Dr. H looooves FourSquare or “checking in” to a location via his mobile device while this concept actually HORRIFIES me. It screams “hey burglars! I’m not home” or “hello friend I didn’t invite to this bar that I’m at!” or at the very least “I’d rather share with the internet that I’m here than just enjoy being here”. Too much for me.
So how much should we share with strangers over the internet? I once recognized a blogger I religiously follow on the subway and was simultaneously elated (ohmygosh I LOVE her blog!!) and felt like a creeper (she has no clue who I am, but I know her child’s name and what she did last weekend). I ended up emailing the blogger to tell her about the siting and confessing that I was too embarrassed to say hello. I know snippets of my real life will be very present on this blog, but I hope to maintain a level of anonymity just... because. I’ll be sharing the adventures of Dr. H and I, but I don’t think that will include pictures of our smiling faces. For now. Maybe one day I will feel differently when I have millions of adoring fans:)
Image via the incredible Uplift Photography
I have mixed feelings on this too. But my I-don't-want-my-daughter-to-have-a-10-year-internet-history-when-entering-middle-school side always wins out. I don't like the loss of control AND I don't like having to live two lives. My real life and my Facebook life - did I miss a post announcing an engagement? should I "like" statuses or comment on them? can I comment on a picture from 3 months ago or do I need to worry about them thinking its weird that I'm looking at old pictures? did someone tag me in a post about being at the mall when I just told my mom I couldn't talk on the phone bc I was eating lunch?
ReplyDeleteIts exhausting.
But then I realize that I benefit from others' open-ness. I love getting caught up on my friends lives and knowing what they're up to.
So what does that make me? All take and no give? Am I an internet freeloader?