<p>Took an SAT practice test and got a 12 on my essay. I thought it deserved an 8-10 at most and i can definitely do better. </p>
<p>Here:</p>
<p>Nowadays nothing is private: our culture has become too confessional and self-expressive. People think that to hide ones thoughts or feelings is to pretend not to have those thoughts or feelings. They assume that honesty requires one to express every inclination and impulse.</p>
<p>Adapted from J. David Velleman, “The Genesis of Shame”</p>
<p>Should people make more of an effort to keep some things private? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
<p>Since its inevitable conception, privacy has been subject to much debate. How much is too much? Is it healthy/wise to keep everything one does private? Does privacy lead to a deficiency in social skills? Or, on the other side of the issue, is privacy a sacred practice? Is it necessary to lead a healthy life? Before the current modern age of computers and technology it seemed that people could choose their side on the matter. In the modern era of social networking and blogging, however, privacy and its attainability have become much more of a challenge. Technology has deemed privacy a thing of the past, but people shouldn’t. In order to bring back the, now alien, concept of privacy people must force themselves to remember the benefits of it. Privacy can bring genius, innovative ideas, and self-realization. Not having privacy can lead to self-detachment and a lethargic way of life.
Mark Zuckerberg, creator of social networking site Facebook, stated in a “TIME” Magazine interview that the age of privacy is over and that Facebook is an attempt at stressing this fact. Zuckerberg’s ideas may be accurate and in compliance to contemporary views, but this is not what people should strive for. Thousands of facebook users spend hours upon end in front of their computer feeding on “News Feeds” of other people’s lives. Contributing nothing but a “lol” or a “i’m bored” comment every now and then. Does this sound like a society of genius and innovative ideas? On the contrary, rather, this sounds like a self-detached and lethargic society, a people obsessed with other people that they have hardly any time for themselves.
Privacy has lead, and continues to lead, though rarely in modern context, to innovative and world-changing ideas by allowing a person to have a better understanding of one’s self. Imagine a world where people didn’t get a “Newsfeed” every second of their lives, but rather, had more time to themselves. This allotted time allows people to realize things that they hadn’t ever noticed about themselves, possibly a hidden talent that was unable to show due to the lack of “self-search”. Once this talent exposes itself one can use it for the betterment of their lives and possibly, on a more influential scale, the world! For example, the great scientist of the 20th century, Albert Einstein lived in a world where privacy was still a social norm. Imagine if Einstein spent his time on Facebook rather than discovering his talent for science and changing the world. Such a feat would be impossible if his privacy was not allowed.
Technology deems privacy “outdated”, but in its concensus it fails to realize the importance and the benefits of privacy. No privacy can lead to a lack of knowing one’s self and as a result, not harboring one’s talents. Such a depressing truth can be avoided by stressing a new age of privacy, which can only be achieved by understandings privacy’s benefits: self-realization, and, who knows, maybe another Einstein.</p>