11. Privacy and Confidentiality

New media has essentially removed some of the boundaries of privacy. But, the effects are neither predominantly good nor bad. A person may post up some material online that the person would not have wanted anyone else to see except for the intended recipient. But someone else may be able to see that picture or personal message through new media. However, there are reasons why the lines of privacy being erased may be a good thing. Someone may want to show a creation and get some feedback on it. Without new media, the acknowledgment of the creation would be confined only to those that physically observed it. But with new media, there would be little difficulty in getting it to as many people as possible.