Rachel McLean and Marie Griffiths gave an interesting insight into an online trend on the rise - the increasing publication of private lives through social media such as Youtube, Twitter and Facebook. They refer to is as “Washing the dirty linen” - nice title

Some of the trends recognized by McLean and Griffiths are:

• broadcasting of domestic events
• broadcast of disputes and declarations of love
• lives lived online
• transgression of boundaries
• work colleagues and friends mesh together
• generational boundaries transgression

The participants in their study gave the following reasons for broadcasting their life online:

• for advice or support
• to show off to my friends
• I can socialize when I’m stuck at home
• I can stay in touch with my friends

However, why do so publicly? Could you not post these videos and comments in more private arenas and not in e.g. Youtube? The following is an example of a publication of a very private situation (let it run for a while):

Why would kids want to broadcast this? And do the parents even know? Also, it seems that not only kids are living their lives in the public. For instance, how many times have you experienced that a colleague or not-so-close friend shared details with you that you wish they hadn’t? I know I have…

Are these trends a side effect of our growing presence online? The many hours we spend updating our status on Facebook, sharing our pictures in Flickr and ‘tweeting’ about everything we do? Have we become socially incompetent?

Please join in on the discussion! Personally, I’m the discrete type, and do not use my status (whether Facebook or Twitter) to disclose personal details - but I know of some that do. And frankly, I would prefer it if they didn’t…

What is your opinion?