Dear Privacy,
I'm hoping that you can forgive me and read this letter until the end.
I beg you to try and understand why the distance between us has become so vast.
It's taken me a long time to admit this to myself and today I feel brave enough to share the truth with you - I think I'm addicted to Public. He's so fast and generous. Every single day he gives me likes, check-ins, updates, hashtags, retweets and so many other kind gifts. Yesterday I used the word hashtag in a normal conversation.
I know what you are thinking. And I beg you to believe that I truly do know Public isn't all sweetness, he has a very wicked side that can be manipulative. He often shields me from the most beautiful things in my life like the outdoors and human beings. Some days I can't even visit the bathroom without him demanding attention from me.
I also know he cheats. Of course I do. It makes my heart ache as I know he will never stop - he tells people my secrets and gives away data that only I reveal to him. And yes I've also realised how much you tried to protect me from him. All I can say is thank you from the very bottom of my heart and I can only apologise for ignoring you.
I know there are different ways I could pay to have you in my life more. I understand it is my responsibility to educate myself on the role you play in my life and my country right now but Public just takes over my days and my nights. He keeps me awake at night.
I often think back to our happier times together when I wrote in my diary every night and we created a booby trap on my bedroom door so my private thoughts would stay between you and I forever.
I don't have a diary anymore. I do have a flickr account, an instagram account, a Facebook account, two blogs, four Twitter accounts, five email accounts, a feedly, a Google circle, three websites…but yes as you predicted, Public controls all of them and always finds a way to sabotage good things.
Privacy, your time is now. It is time for you to fight back and show Public what you are made of. I need you and others do too. People and countries will reward you for keeping them safe and secure.
I hope one day you can forgive me and I pray I will find the strength to wean myself off Public and one day return to your open arms.
All my love,
Lauren
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article