The Privacy Generation

… In the 12 years since the terrorist attack, many have noted that 9/11 was the biggest socializing factor in young people’s lives. Observers have noted that this generation expresses a high degree of patriotism and question whether this will spill over into policy attitudes. One possibility is that those in their formative years during 9/11 would respond with an embrace of security measures that, while aiming to curb terrorism, also infringe on privacy. Basically the thought is, if you were socialized during an eminent terrorist threat and constant infringements on your privacy, you would become more willing to trade privacy for security. The thing is, more than a decade after the attacks, we now know that those socialized in the wake of 9/11 instead downplay the threat of terrorism and place a much higher premium on protecting their privacy. [cont.]

Joshua J. Dyck (UMass-Lowell) & Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz (U. of R.I.), Pacific Standard

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