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Privacy in Public

private bench in a public park with a grey trash can and green trees

This is a topic I've been grappling with since being online again, especially as a fairly anonymous blogger and Bookstagrammer. While I don't share many personal details about myself, I am more open to sharing my thoughts and convictions on matters around faith and reading. At the same time, there are also many other thoughts and convictions that I hold privately that I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing on virtual platforms. All of this has made me wonder about the responsibilities and concerns of being a private person in what would be considered a public space.

First, I am aware of the conundrum of people following people, not just a brand or concept. When people connect, they want to know who is behind the identity. And I don't blame that notion at all considering that I feel the same way. I'm not surprised at online accounts that have a large following, simply because people have the opportunity to get to know another person. Personally, these are some of the accounts that I enjoy most, because there's a name and a face attached to the content. Since I'm not in a place where I can disclose this information publicly, I've accepted that I'm fine with having a small platform as a result. If anything, I'm truly, truly grateful for anyone reading these words as you've taken a risk without getting to see me 😊

Second, after working in various sectors, I've come to realize that there is a fine line between offering information that people actually want to know versus what we think they want to know. I have by no means mastered this in either my personal or professional life, but it's a constant reminder that I want to be in service of others, rather than furthering anything of my own accord or personal agenda. The truth is that a great deal of time, effort, and resources goes into the platforms I'm on; however, I'm fine with that as I care about promoting good Christian books. I'm also cognizant that people might not want to know about them either. I've adopted the philosophy that if I can at all be helpful, I will do what I can, but I'm also not forcing anyone to consume what I create. All in all, it's a realistic way of saying that whatever is shared publicly is mindful and intentional on my end, but it's not for everyone.

Third, and piggy-backing off the previous point about what audiences want, is the realization that what I share and how I share it matters. One of the reasons I remain private about certain things is because people don't need to hear every thought that crosses my mind. This is one of the most detrimental things I've observed about social media where there is a mistaken impression that we are constantly "on" and that people need to know minute details about our days, views, or preferences. Sure, I enjoy sharing snippets here and there, but people are not up for consumption, nor should there be an expectation of that. I'm also not blaming anyone who is naturally gifted at conveying this aspect of their life. Being a rather obscure blogger has freed me from these compulsions, but I need to remain vigilant. Thankfully, being rather private in real life and being employed in more sensitive settings has trained me to be a bit more careful about how I express my views, if at all, although I've already run into my fair share of trouble in my short time online based on the few firm convictions I've shared 😅

That brings me to my last thoughts on privacy. What spurred this post on has been recent political events, which I won't comment on, but which I've been able to observe. I love that within the world we currently live in, there is the opportunity and freedom to express our thoughts and beliefs, though this can always be taken away. I admire those who can thoughtfully articulate a position and persuade others toward what is good. I believe that this is where good influence can be exerted, particularly if people are unaware of certain matters and they're receiving accurate information as a result. It's beautiful when Christians can spur each other on toward godliness by pointing to the truth in the Bible. However, a lot of what exists in the public sphere consists of opinions rather than objective truth.

In sharing book reviews, this work is subjective and someone else who is a passionate and committed follower of Jesus Christ can have the very opposite opinion of me. It's not my intention to compromise by never sharing my beliefs, but I've learnt over time that a lot of my thoughts may be related to secondary issues of the faith or simply my preferences based on personal life experiences. I fear that by being too public and making every thought known that there may be a time when thoughts change and it may be too difficult to go back and reverse course; I also fear that by being too private that it's harder to trust where the information is coming from and why. It's a delicate balance, but I don't want people to get bogged down by distractions when what matters is the Gospel.

My prayer is what Paul shared with the Corinthian church, "Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace" (2 Corinthians 1:12).

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Comments

  1. EllaDecember 10, 2024 at 8:55 PM

    I completely agree with what you’ve said. As someone who highly values privacy, I struggle with my presence on social media. There’s always that lingering thought that if people knew me, saw glimpses of my daily life, my account would grow, and new readers would find me. But social media is something I’ve avoided for so long. It took indie publishing to draw me back in, even though the idea of consuming people’s lives doesn’t sit well with me (I’ve fallen into living on vlogs and such content in the past and I know it’s a slippery slope for me). I’d rather show up for the ideas, the products, and the encouragement than for just lifestyle content.

    That’s the kind of online space I want to create. I’m trying to be okay with how things are now and trusting God to bring the readers He wants me to have, without having to change who I am or compromise my beliefs.

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    Replies
    1. Christian ShelvesJanuary 2, 2025 at 4:49 PM

      Thank you so much for your comment! I appreciate what you said about consuming people's lives and love that you're cultivating a space for encouragement instead. That's a great prayer about trusting God and not having to compromise who we are - have a blessed new year!

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