So the other day in the Hitchcock class I am taking we watched “Rear Window”. For those not familiar with the film here is a brief overview procured from imdb.com : “Photojournalist "Jeff" Jeffries is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, and the entire story takes place in the courtyard adjoining the rear of his apartment, all events being seen through his eyes. Jeff believes that a murder has been committed by his neighbor Thorwald and sends his girlfriend Lisa and his nurse Stella to investigate. Written by filmfactsman”
Jimmy Stewart (Jeff Jeffries) has been home bored, so what does he do? Sits and looks out his window at other people (oversimplification at best). Immediately my mind began drawing links to social networking sites. Many people spend their time admittedly “facebook stalking”; essentially looking into peoples lives. Now, if this was confined to close friends, to check up on them or to say hi, that’s one thing. Most people I know that facebook stalk, are checking up on not only they friends, but their friends of friends, friends sisters boyfriends … you get the idea. This is crazy!! The world has become the apartment complex, our computers the rear window, and our MySpace and Facebook pages have become the means to see into our lives.
This hits especially close to home as I am a big brother. My sister is 16 years old (5 years my junior) and I am protective, naturally. It is a bit scary that my generation (and hers more so) are so comfortable with putting their private life on the internet. Now I’m not saying my sister is stupid or easily manipulated, but the thought all the naked photos, sexual predators and the like are enough to make me shiver. The article by Kevin Poulsen about the MySpace “bug” made my skin crawl (not for myself but my sister and all little sisters of the world). Where the voyeuristic aspect of “Rear Window” is meant to be unsettling (as well as societal take) in a world where private lives are public fodder, how do we distinguish the everyday “facebook stalker” from the sexual predators and perverts? Are the “private” setting enough? Quite frankly younger kids that equivocate facebook friends with popularity want to be seen, so why would they put it on private?
Yes there are laws in place and social networking sites are taking more an more measures, but it is the internet. If you upload it, it is there, and although it may get harder for predators and perverts (or simply people you don’t want) to view what people put online but , it is there and there are [apparently] ways for people to access what they want.
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