Internet Safety in 2026
I've been thinking about how much I share about myself on this blog and elsewhere from an internet-safety standpoint.
Growing up, I was taught never to share any details about myself online, including my name and the city I lived in. Now, though, I'm a published writer, so my name is out there and I kind of need it to be in order to be recognized for my work. I could've used a pen name, and sometimes I wish I had, but it's too late for that now, and besides, I prefer having my writing associated with me without there being any question about my identity.
I used to keep my home city a secret, but I recently decided to abandon that as well, because I want to talk openly about some of the places I visit here. It's not difficult to discover the city I'm located in, but I try very hard not to pinpoint my exact location or mention where I'm going to be on a specific day.
I've seen various levels of openness from other people online. I suspect privacy is largely contextual. If you're a hugely popular Twitch streamer or YouTuber, for example, you're unfortunately more likely to deal with stalking, something I've never had to worry about (although I did have a problematic viewer for a bit, which unfortunately comes with the territory when you're a woman).
I came across a YouTube video titled Living Alone Diaries: The Most Dangerous Trend. I haven't watched it yet, but I'm kind of interested to, particularly because there are a couple of YouTubers who fall under that category who I enjoy watching. Are they really putting themselves in danger by showing their apartments to the world, or is the video an overreaction? I suppose maybe we can't be too careful in what seems to be an increasingly hostile world.
Internet safety has been on my mind lately, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it as well.