Get With It – Everyone’s A Public Figure Online

There was a time when the expression “public figure” meant a big celebrity, someone who was a star or writing in the press. This time is long passed. Nowadays you are a public figure the moment you step on the internet, not just when on Facebook or Twitter, but of course when blogging.

I am by no means suggesting that this is a negative change. Personally I am thoroughly enjoying being able to connect with like-minded people all around the world and am thrilled to be able to reach people with my thoughts and writing. Instead of a daunting way to “fame”, whatever that is, it is much easier for everybody to voice their opinions and have them heard. In every regard, this is a positive change!

Given my opinion on this, it is very tiresome reading articles in the local newspaper on this topic. The reason is the narrow-minded focus that is presented. It seems as though the web is generally regarded as dangerous because of the potentiality for fame and publicness. This should be compared to writing about in the web as something enhancing because of the same potentiality for fame and publicness.

Letting the focus lie instead on teaching the risks and benefits with the goal of making them easy to compare and drawing a conclusion. This is what is truly important, being aware of what you are doing when you enter the internet, publishing anything. Being aware of what consequences will follow once you have made the decision to be a public figure, and dealing with them.