Keeping it to ourselves: Technology, privacy, and the loss of reserve

This article discusses the loss of reserve, a critical component of privacy, caused by technological advances. I define reserve as our ability to control what information about us is disclosed, and what is not. As technology evolves, the protective inefficiencies of the early information age have given way to increasing intrusiveness, with corresponding impacts on the level of privacy we enjoy. As people embrace new technologies, they neglect to assess the impact on the privacies they claim to cherish. Of the four facets of privacy—solitude, intimacy, anonymity, and reserve—the erosion of privacy may have its greatest effect on the loss of reserve. The negative impact of technology on reserve is examined, along with the need for meaningful societal discourse regarding the role of technology in our everyday lives.