Apologies about the long, rambling post...but I'm getting more and more scared and my thoughts are racing and difficult to pin down.

The bigger social media gets, the more terrified I become...I can't stand the thought of social media and being spied on more than I already do. But now I can't even have a youtube account without having a google+ account (didn't realize until today that google+ was really a social networking site).

And I have to have my name online because of what I do...I have my own personal website. I'm at least taking my picture down so people don't know who I am except by name only.

The very difficult thing to explain is that if I end up doing what I want to do, I would become famous. But there's a huge difference between being famous and being looked up online and being anyone else and being looked up online. When you're famous you can have a separate "persona" that you use when performing or appearing anywhere and the average person won't actually know you, unlike social networks like Facebook, where the person on the page is YOU. That's terrifying to me, especially when we all know that the government (the US government at least) is using all this information to spy on us.

My problem, other than the fear that tomorrow we will live in the world of "1984" and I literally will not be able to have a single thought without being shot in the head in the middle of the night...or even worse, have what happens in the last third of the book happen to me. I cannot speak of the horror that is our future....that is my future because I would be one that would disappear. Perhaps I will for saying that...I'm sure they can track who I am.

But even besides all of that...even if we're safe for now...how do I get what I want out of life if you need to use social networks, youtube, etc. to communicate with anyone?

How do I keep a website up to promote my work (and maybe others in the future) and still feel safe?
How do I start/promote a band in this world? Do I start accounts as my "persona" instead of as me as a real person? Will that make me disappear as a real person or split into two sides that I can't necessarily control? And if they want to spy on me, they're still spying on me, even if it isn't really me because it's still my physical body. And they can still tie the physical body to the persona!

How do I keep the "job" that I have (if you can call it that) when I'm required to use Facebook, youtube, Twitter, etc. etc.? How? I don't get all the information and I can't do what's asked of me because against my personal morals. But how do you explain that in a resignation letter?

All of this—smart phones, social media, the Cloud...this is normal to other people. How can I adequately provide for myself and survive in this world without the world being involved in my PRIVATE business? How do I fully participate without social media? Do I just do the parts of my "job" that don't involve social media and not bother to do the other things?

I don't know what to do...but I'm just so terrified. I've often wondered if I'm even safe on here...

[HealingNSuffering]

Originally Posted by I.Am.The.End.

But even besides all of that...even if we're safe for now...how do I get what I want out of life if you need to use social networks, youtube, etc. to communicate with anyone?

How do I keep a website up to promote my work (and maybe others in the future) and still feel safe?
How do I start/promote a band in this world? Do I start accounts as my "persona" instead of as me as a real person? Will that make me disappear as a real person or split into two sides that I can't necessarily control? And if they want to spy on me, they're still spying on me, even if it isn't really me because it's still my physical body. And they can still tie the physical body to the persona!

How do I keep the "job" that I have (if you can call it that) when I'm required to use Facebook, youtube, Twitter, etc. etc.? How? I don't get all the information and I can't do what's asked of me because against my personal morals. But how do you explain that in a resignation letter?

All of this—smart phones, social media, the Cloud...this is normal to other people. How can I adequately provide for myself and survive in this world without the world being involved in my PRIVATE business? How do I fully participate without social media? Do I just do the parts of my "job" that don't involve social media and not bother to do the other things?

I don't know what to do...but I'm just so terrified. I've often wondered if I'm even safe on here...

Good point, I feel the same way. I definitely agree to use a persona, an alternate identity, like the super heroes do. Keep descriptions and pictures of yourself on social media as vague as possible, if you are clean shaven, post pictures with beard, I even go as far as to wear shades and cover my face and hairline. Less stuff for the facial recognition software to pick up on. I don't think it will make you split into two different people, you have complete control at all times over who knows what. If you have to do business via mail, use your alternate identities name instead of your own, register your phone under the alternate identity, I'd say its best not to avoid these things, but just play it smart. I have the same anxieties as you do, and agree with the point you are making in this article, its a lose-lose situation these control freaks have in. If you have to buy something use cash, or buy it through a proxy. Good luck

[Gus1234U]

Be Here Now

there are no guarantees that you will wake up tomorrow. nothing can assure that you will be safe from harm at any time. there is no need to wait for tomorrow to start working on living without fear.

when i look back on my life, i see where i have survived horrific things. i have actually 'recovered' several times from being shattered. things now are not so hot, either, but i don't care very much. i focus on this breath, this chair, this keyboard, this computer, this moment, and you.

perhaps just having one thing on my mind, and that being in the present, knowing that memories are chemical tracks in my brain, is an extraordinary state of mind. but i didn't get here in a day. i have spent 9 years, working every day towards this goal, intentional work for 2 to 5 hours a day. i have paid the price in money for the tools to support me in my efforts.

i have "high self esteem" from being successful. and i can tell you that this is a LOOOOOOOOOONG way from where i started 22 yrs ago after massive brain damage from psych meds.

SO, if you want to be able to live in this world with some peace of mind, and some dignity, you better start work on it NOW. practice changing your thoughts, your feelings, your breathing, and your heart rate. change your diet. get your sleep. take care of yourself. and BE KIND. be kind to yourself, and be kind to others. every day be a little more the person you wish to be, every chance you get, and make those chances happen.

and then, stop asking WHY? Why ME? and all those unanswerable questions that just get you all worked up. let fear subside. let anger go without being acted out. grieve if you must, but don't let it stop you from understanding that NOW is the only time you have to change.

i hope this doesn't sound like a lecture, a rant, or a rave. i hope you can find something in what i've said that will lead you to the path of inner peace. i hope the very best for you~

Gus

[(JD)]

As long as you haven't given anyone your personal information connected with your screen name here, there's no way they would know who you are here.... that would probably include using links or posting things here that you have also posted on your personal website...you know what I mean?

If you happen to have already given out some of that info, you can always ask DocJohn to end this account and start a new one (Just be sure not to tell anyone you changed your name!!!) A few others have done this, though, and usually your friends here will figure it out

Please take care of yourself---and that includes getting enough sleep!

I'm not so worried about what's written on here, since my username isn't connected to any other username and was sort of chosen at random.

The problem is that I've published several things using my real name, so at this point, in order to promote myself, I'd need to use my real name. Everything might just get even more confusing.

I just hate feeling that I'm forced to have a personal Facebook when I deleted mine before for my own personal emotional safety as it was triggering to me. I hate the feeling of being forced to use other social media when they just seem pointless unless I'm interesting to a lot of people (i.e. famous, even to a local extent) and even then I would want a band/professional profile and not a personal profile.

Now that youtube is connected to social media via google+, I'm afraid to use that too...and we were all asked to like a video and subscribe to a channel on youtube as part of our job. They can't do anything if I don't, but I hate feeling like a terrible person if I stick to my own personal morals.