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Culp, Jackson
Personal Privacy Reflection
9/20/15

My Concepts on Privacy
I believe that individual privacy gives people a sense of comfort.
I believe that privacy should be respected at all times.
I believe that people are entitled to share private information regarding health or
personal thoughts based on whom they wish to tell.
I believe that in public places, measures can be made to monitor people as an
insurance of public safety.

The right to privacy is an important factor in everyday life. It gives people

insurance that they are both respected and trusted by their peers. For me, privacy has
always been an important part of my life. Since I was a little boy, there are times when I
have relished time where I could spend time without anyone else around. Though I do
like to be social, I prefer having moments where I can be creative with a quiet
surrounding and not be disturbed. As an individual, I like my living and working
environment to be calm and peaceful. I especially prefer to work on assignments or
personal projects when no one will interrupt me unless it involves group work.
Throughout my life, there have been many factors that have influenced how I view the
need for privacy and have shaped me into who I am today. Still, I am certain that as I
continue to experience new things there will be more important lessons that may or may
not influence my idea of privacy.

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The sense of security and trust that individuals receive from those whom they
interact with at home can affect their future relationships. My parents and younger sister
have always respected my need for privacy and I respected theirs. From age 1-19, I
shared a room with my younger sister and though there are times when siblings who are
roommates for a long time will get tired of it, we managed to get along and make it work.
As a result, we are very mindful about when it is appropriate to knock on the door and
enter our room. So a large part of my idea of privacy revolves around me being mindful
of my surroundings. Self-awareness of a surrounding can provide individuals with clarity
and understanding of how their environment can make them feel safe. Whether or not a
person feels safe without anyone else around depends on the individual. Personally, I do
not want to be too secluded up until the point of being unsociable. Still, there are times
when I prefer being alone in order to collect my thoughts on how my day usually goes.
There is always room for me to change my behavior but my need for alone time is
something that will never change.
The relationship between parents and their children plays an important role in the
childrens development. My parents grew up with lots of siblings in each of their families
and sometimes were a little distant from their parents. When my sister and I were born,
our parents encouraged us not to be afraid to talk to them about personal issues and share
certain information with them. My dads parents were more distant and he did not want to
make the same mistake with us. Though they taught us to speak our minds, it does not
mean that we completely grasped the idea of when it would be appropriate to say certain
things in front of particular people. There were a few occasions between the ages of 5 and
10, where I would sometimes say something that was not appropriate for specific people

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to hear. Usually, if I said something that was hurtful or private to others, my parents
would inform me in a calm manner that it would be better to keep such thoughts to
myself or speak with them in private. In the later years of 13 to 21, I can understand how
there are certain things that can be spoken and some that should not. However, depending
on whom I am talking to, I feel free to speak my mind. Keeping thoughts and opinions to
oneself can be detrimental in building relationships with other people. Sharing can help
create a larger understanding of different people and behaviors. As a result, they can feel
more comfortable engaging and interacting with them.
The environment where an individual grows up can often shape their ability to
cope with the outside world. I was born and raised in the urban city of Santa Monica,
living in a two-story apartment complex. During the years of 1-19, we have had
neighbors living beside us or close to us. Since we lived so close to one another, we could
easily hear loud noises from each others apartment. A large part of living in an
apartment building is respecting our neighbors and forming good relationships with them.
If we are not respectful towards one another then depending on the noise level, neighbors
can get angry and grow to be annoyed by the noise offender. There were times when I
was child, where I would cause a loud noise or disturb the neighbors. Eventually, I
learned that it is important to respect the need for silence every once in a while so that
everyone can coexist peacefully. In the recent years of 19-21, while attending CSUMB, I
have had to put up with loud neighbors in the dorms. As expected, I would get greatly
annoyed by them and potentially grow to resent them. The only thing that prevents me
from marching on their door and complaining to their face is that our residential advisor
already gets word of the noise complaint from somewhere else. It is reassuring to know

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that I am not the only one who desires peace and quiet once in a while. In close living
communities, privacy must be respected so that the community does not fall apart.
A complex topic such as privacy can be greatly influenced by the ideals instilled
by race and religion. However, race and religion have never been a large factor in my
preference for privacy. I was raised to be accepting and tolerant of different religions and
races since the world is full of different people. Though it was not until I turned 15 when
I began to fully comprehend these ideals. Frankly, I prefer diversity because it can lead to
expanding ones knowledge of things that lie outside of ones home and country. It
establishes a larger understanding of the world we live in.
As humanity continues to advance in the fields of science and technology, privacy
can be greatly impacted. When it comes to technology that can potentially invade privacy,
my opinion rests entirely on the usefulness and the intention. Cameras in public places
can be understood since it can help maintain security and public safety. However, if a day
were to come where everyone would be monitored daily in both private and public places
then it would be a violation of the right to individual privacy. No matter how open a
person may appear to be, there are times when even he or she would like to have
boundaries. Also, most people in the world are connected by online communication such
as Facebook or Twitter and like to post updates regarding how they feel or what is
happening in their lives. I personally do not post too much on Facebook. Although, I
check it daily for updates on my friends, I prefer not to share anything about how I feel or
what I am currently doing on a day-to-day basis. Unless I feel that something is important
or harmless enough to share with the people I befriended, I will not post. On more than
one occasion, I have seen certain posts misinterpreted by readers and lead to causing a

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big misunderstanding or possibly cyber bullying. The problem with online
communication is that it is difficult to understand the emotion behind the words in a post,
blog, or text message. In the years between ages 18 to 21, I have been very cautious
about sharing information regarding myself since I do not want to give away too much
information or have anything I post be misinterpreted. Therefore, it is better to have
personal awareness and restraint over the contents of a post where everyone in the world
can potentially see it.
I ultimately believe that privacy plays an important role in the personal comfort of
an individual and should always be respected. It can affect their ability to communicate
and understand the people in their surroundings. The idea of privacy held by different
individuals may differ depending on how they were raised, how they relate to others, and
what technological tools they use. Although the modern age might be slowly moving
closer and closer to the idea of privacy not existing, it is critical to remember how the
right to privacy is what makes people feel safe. Taking away such a freedom can result in
a brutal dictatorship and eliminate free will. Free will is a natural right that distinguishes
an individual from a group and must not be tampered with.