Younger Generations are Infected by Continuous Socialization to Accept Diminished Privacy: A Global Analysis of How the United States' Constitutional Doctrine Is a Main Contributor to Eroded Privacy

Abstract

Since the nineteenth century, privacy concerns have increased with the growth of technology. The invention of instantaneous photography, coupled with the enlarged presence of press, was met with concerns of degraded privacy.1 Society has formed expectations of privacy, but as time passes, those expectations continue to diminish. Younger generations have been socialized to accept lessened levels of privacy in this digitalized world of mass data and connectivity.2 Individual privacy expectations vary globally. The construction of China’s government and culture produces a lesser expectation of individual privacy than that of the United States. As outlined in the U.S. Constitution, U.S. citizens expect freedom from government surveillance without an authorized warrant,3 which is inconsistent with the privacy expectations of Chinese citizens. This essay first discusses an article by Cyrus Farivar,4 followed by an article by Ava Kofman, 5 both of which relate to mass data collection