Social psychologists have known for decades that the relationship between attitudes and behaviors is complex, if not weak. This is true online as well as offline. For example, though you may be irritated by the retargeting ads that follow you around the web, it probably hasn’t changed your online shopping behavior. By the same token, the widespread anger and distrust reported by the general public when the Edward Snowden NSA saga erupted did not decrease internet use. In fact, it did not even increase the adoption rate of higher security settings on social media. In other words, even when people say they are concerned with online privacy, their concerns may not be strong enough to drive digital abstinence. While more people are using VPNs, ad blockers, and tracking blockers to reclaim lost privacy, they’re still in the minority.
Why We’re So Hypocritical About Online Privacy
We say we care, but our actions say otherwise.
May 01, 2017
Summary.
Many of us say that we’re concerned about protecting our privacy and personal data online. And yet, our actions say otherwise. Recent research suggests that even when consumers don’t trust that their social media data is safe, they have no plans to protect it or opt out of social media altogether. Even those individuals who express concerns about their privacy behave quite carelessly online, engaging in uncensored or inappropriate self-disclosure, making a great deal of their digital footprint public, and allowing a wide range of external apps to access their data. Why the “privacy paradox?” This article explores the psychology behind the disconnect between our online privacy concerns, and our actual online behaviors.