Digital Rights: What happened to privacy?

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Digital Rights: An Element of Digital Citizenship

Here’s another reflection from Nicholas Carr’s latest book, Superbloom (Chapter 2: Privacy and the Public Interest).

Nicholas Carr points out a simple concept that somehow digital culture has forgotten: A private conversation is never meant to be the same as a public broadcast. Yet the line between our private and public lives has become extremely blurry. He weaves the history of confidentiality from the centuries old “letters sealed with wax” through the telegraph, the telephone, the radio, TV, and on into the endless scroll of social media where one-to-one conversation turns into one-to-the world “shout outs”.

Digital rights protect individuals when using digital technologies and the internet while assuring them intellectual freedom and protection of intellectual property. While this overlaps with digital communication (another element of digital citizenship)- it is extremely important as a core value itself because each individual should be provided control over their personal data — who collects it, how it is used, and who has access to it. Responsible digital citizens understand their own privacy rights and also respect the privacy of others when engaging in online communities.

I often joke in presentations on digital citizenship by saying, “Privacy died in 2008”, but the historical timeline presented by Carr seems to validate the date! Most people began flooding to social media about that time in order to “share their voices” and connect across the world. Legislation is often far behind innovation and the world loudly cried out that “information should be free” and “everyone has a voice”.

Carr digs into the political, legal, and ethical concerns of the rapidly changing information landscape of the early 21st century and states:

“The combination of deregulation and digitization erased the legal and ethical distinction between interpersonal and broadcast communication that had governed media in the twentieth century” page 61.

With rapidly evolving AI applications creating more content than humans have ever created, the individual private life of one human being seems like a tiny grain of sand. To be concerned about the privacy and the incredible value of one individual is a worthwhile effort. Sherry Turkle nails it when she says, “We expect more from technology and less from each other. We create technology to provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship”. Privacy is an essential fundamental human right in both the physical and virtual world and I just looked back at when I began to mourn the loss.

Superbloom: Examining the Perils of Social Media

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Since 2010, when The Shallows by Nicholas Carr was published, I have recommended it so many times. That book explained how our lives changed when we put smart phones in our pockets –capable of bringing more information than we could ever imagine to our fingertips. So, I immediately purchased Superbloom (his 2025 publication) and I was surprised to be a bit less surprised! Most likely I was not as blown away (although the book is good and I will post more about it) because I have been researching changing literacy since the turn of the century and am in total agreement with the perils of social media Carr lays out … like a blooming field of flowers with photos and hashtags more important than the actual blossoms themselves. (See a photo of poppies similar to the viral post from a social media influencer that caused trampling of the field of poppies).

By Bluesnote – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77472535

DIGITAL IDENTITY: the foundation of Digital Citizenship

Carr shares a fascinating take on how social media forms our digital identity. Here is a passage from Superbloom (via Substack):

Social identity plays an important organizing role online as well, but it can also, when it usurps individual character, lead to a kind of self-stereotyping. It becomes a cage, if a comfortable one. In social media’s flux, identity serves as a defense mechanism. It gives the entropic mirrorball self an appearance of stability and cohesion by reducing it to a set of ready-made tribal markers: hashtags, emojis, slogans, gestures, acronyms, flags, in-jokes, buzzwords. This is who I am. This and this and this. The self is formed through a curation of symbols.

Social media is a disembodied self; however, having spent nearly two decades in a virtual world, I believe one can have an avatar in a persistent space that is embodied. This was not addressed in the book but I think perhaps it is important to point out that when one is embodied in an avatar with other humans, it is not the same as the endless disposable scroll. Digital identity can be more intentional when one enters a virtual place with real human beings to interact and form purposeful communities rather than “advertisements” of themselves. This important difference will be essential in teaching the next generation about digital identity, particularly when AI characters, NPCs, virtual companions, non-human agents, and other “individuals” are simulating humans even as we speak.

I feel the AI “urge”! Always at the ready

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You can’t escape it! You look up something and AI provides the answer. You write something and AI wants to suggest a revision. Can’t we make it GO AWAY?!?

Artificial intelligence has been around for decades and has a parallel “rise” alongside the Internet. But suddenly, it is inescapable. I think a lot of us share an unsettling feeling that AI is always there–wanting to help us. I don’t want that help but when I make a sign (since I am not a graphic designer) or want a title, or quick ideas, there is this urge to simply ask AI. That urge is disturbing! I want my own ideas and my own “imperfect” communication and – more than anything else- I want the next generation to value human expression and creativity.

ChatGTP is not my friend or companion or helper. The picture below is not important. I am simply adding to the clutter of nonstop content creation flooding the sea of information chaos that humans can no longer effectively navigate. Recognizing this “urge” to weave AI into life must certainly be part of digital citizenship and my hope is that we figure out how to suppress it and value our own thoughts, ideas, vocabulary, unique voice and even our human limitations.

My Passion Project, Generated in Seconds

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I’ve been a guest lecturer for professors in both Ireland (John O’Connor) and Turkey (Murat Gulmez) for several years and just listened to a AI Deep Dive podcast featuring my passion for digital citizenship and my work as an information professional through promoting metaliteracy (a model developed by Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson). Working collaboratively across the globe with these amazing educators has been inspiring, yet- surprisingly, I found this podcast deeply disturbing! Click the picture to listen- if interested, my work is at 8:30-26:00 minutes.

Deep Dive Podcast from GoogleLM summarizing Valibrarian as lecturer.

To hear two fake “AI” voices that are not real people discuss many years of my work at a time when I cannot get the concepts of digital citizenship in the hands of human students makes me sad!  These nonhuman agents summarized the classes I taught in the metaverse in just minutes, yet physical world teachers I talk to do not have time nor the curriculum to help prepare their students for the future as they must focus on the subject areas they teach. 

The male and female sycophantic AI voices sound knowledgeable, convincing, and act as if “in awe” of my so-called universally known work (hardly!) even though they cannot possibly think about it critically.  AI agents only simulate thinking and simulate human articulation.  It is unsettling to have my own words and passion about digital citizenship mashed-up and regurgitated as “digital content” and ironic for them to discuss the “dark side of digital culture” when the voices are uncannily disguised as human. Those two clever bots exemplify the urgent call for metaliteracy and digital citizenship as they pose as experts on the topics in a loop of artificiality. Even more ironic- to have worked in a simulated metaverse for nearly 20 years and consider it a real place. Yet it is clear to me… reality and memory take place in our minds. Yet, for machines to pose as humans is a totally different matter.

AI quickly allows us to produce content (like podcasts, poems, images and more) without the painful reflective process we humans must go through to create and communicate. AI skips process and takes us straight to the product. Perhaps this AI-generated video is not all too far from where we are or where we are headed: Post-Scarcity Blues… declaring “your passion projects, generated in seconds”.

Digital Citizenship Outpost: a 3D simulation Metamodernity Lab

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I have become passionate about digital citizenship since the Internet and the Information Age transformed my profession as a librarian. After nearly 20 years in virtual environments, I finally decided to create a 3D space for my research journey and I named it Digital Citizenship Outpost in Second Life. The region will open soon and I will be able to archive my presentations and present lessons to promote discussion.

The first step was to design a map drawing of the region centered on the “oscillation” of opposites in our metamodern era. Every day, we oscillate between our physical/natural world and the worlds on our digital devices with online communities across distance. Information is no longer primarily accessed in print (nor in a building called a library as often as it was in days gone by) but on digital devices. Learning is a process- not a hierarchy of mastery- particularly now that the intelligence age presents revolutionary change. And- our process of lifelong learning is a journey that spirals over and over again through the seasons. Each year, we encounter those same seasons, yet they are always new and we are always learning.

So, my first thought for a region was to express this learning journey using the four seasons. At the center, the heart of metamodernism is oscillation. And, the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) surround the landing point called Oscillation Atrium.

The four seasons take us through a journey, starting with spring (new life) which represents our new era of metamodernism with respect for our past history and excitement about future innovation. We move to summer where we learn about metaliteracy (how digital culture has changed the way we communicate, learn, and become critical thinkers). Next, we move to Autumn at the Digital Citizenship Grove and Pavilion to address the many personal responsibilities we now have as we oscillate between the physical world and life enhanced with technology online. Then, finally we come to winter…a cold dark time which presents the metaphor of AIM (artificial intelligence mountain) to explore how AI will impact our lives and learning. ChatGTP create the images below in both day and night colors which help me design the region with the help of my amazing builder friend and colleague librarian, Dawn. The collaboration of skills in the metaverse is a fabulous example of constructivism.

This post is an introduction to my new metaverse region which I hope will be a dynamic space to explore changing literacy and digital citizenship. My first thought was to name the space “The Metamodernity Lab” but the content placed in the region is designed to think deeply about the next generation and how their lives require a personal responsibility for understanding digital citizenship. This is critical because the concepts raised at the Digital Citizenship Outpost impact not only their learning, but their overall well being as humans in the intelligence age.

MetaBlog! AI-Generated Podcast Summarizes My Journey

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Using Google Notebook LM, I asked for a summary of my nearly 20 year journey of blogging as Valibrarian. In just a few minutes, two cheery voices talked about me…my work over decades as I witnessed the fall of the hierarchy or print and the move toward digital culture.

These AI podcasters sound so human and likeable! But they are not. Listening to them talk about my personal journey felt surreal. I used ChatGTP to create a photo of us all: myself, my avatar, and 2 AI bots talking about me.

Now I share this on my blog… an AI podcast summarizing this blog instantly. Super meta- about and about and about!

Library Media Format Tree

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Looking through my digital photos, I stumbled on this “media format tree” I created at my beloved school library where I served as librarian for 25 years. The tree branch mounted on the ceiling was from the peach tree in my yard, which provided me with many memories (and much philosophical meaning). But that’s a different story.

As media formats rapidly evolved over my career from primarily print in 1990 to primarily digital in 2015, I witnessed personally the close of the Gutenberg Parenthesis and it had a huge influence on my profession and the world. I worked during the age when book was king of the information hierarchy and I have done many presentations on the toppling of that hierarchy. Print formats are “fixed” and they do not change when you return to them again and again; yet digital content is “fluid” and seems to constantly evolve leading to sense of being washed out to sea as the next wave comes your way.

On my media tree, you may see newsprint, microfiche, CD’s and DVD’s, filmstrips, catalog cards, and floppy disks. Many of these formats are now rarely (or never) used and they remind me of the importance of archival. If we do not migrate formats they often become unusable as evidenced by the Museum of Obsolete Media.

You may also see buckets of crayons and writing materials on the library tables because I asked students to bring journals with them. Connecting literature to our lives with writing activities was a joy! (Then the digital revolution put iPads into the hands of the children and the halls and cafeteria became silent as they stared into them.) On the far right of this picture there is a tip of the hat glimpse at the fish bowl where Dewey the fish (actually Dewey 1.1, Dewey 1.2 and many more over the many years!) swam happily illustrating that a library is a living organism.

Around 2008, early one morning, I turned on all the lights as I always did- since I loved bringing the library to life before the teachers and students began to arrive- and I had this premonition. It was a sense that the space would be changing. It was such a strong feeling that, looking back, I could imagine the floor was shaking! What will happen to this space? I thought. I jumped ahead as an early adopter of the metaverse because I wanted to explore best practices before the children arrived. And they did. They are greatly in need of some metaphorical boats to help navigate the constant sea of information chaos.

Metamodern Murdoch Mysteries: AI Waxes Philosophical

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With a tip of the hat to history and the wonderful age of inventions around the end of the 19th century, fans of the Murdoch Mysteries enjoy eccentric adventures with such famous characters as Tesla, Houdini, Henry Ford and even a young Winston Churchill. This whimsical glimpse into the past provides beautiful sets depicting early Toronto, Canada and spoofy yet authentic Victorian clothing. Such fun!

Since I have been researching our current philosophical moment which many call metamodernism, the Murdoch Mysteries seem like such a great example of the “new sincerity” and appreciation of the past that embody metamodernism. Postmodernism was filled with irony and deconstruction of grand narratives and a new hope is provided with metamodernism.

As I contemplated the metamodern concepts seen in this series, I decided to pose a question to ChatGTP. I asked, “The show Murdoch Mysteries is a spoofy tip of the hat to history and inventions with a sincerity rather than irony of the cultural time. Would this be a good example of metamodernism?”

ChatGTP provided (in my opinion) a great answer, by quickly replying, “Yes, Murdoch Mysteries could be considered an example of metamodernism, particularly in how it blends historical reverence with a playful, speculative approach to inventions and cultural events. The show oscillates between earnest admiration for the past and a lighthearted, sometimes exaggerated reimagining of historical figures and technological advancements.

Unlike postmodernism, which often employs irony to deconstruct history, Murdoch Mysteries engages with historical narratives sincerely while still having fun with anachronisms and imaginative “what-if” scenarios. This balance between authenticity and creative embellishment aligns with metamodernism’s oscillation between sincerity and playfulness, making it a fitting example of the movement’s cultural sensibilities.”

I suppose I could not have put it better myself. AI used the key word “oscillation” without my putting it in the prompt which is a critical component. I like this answer. Yet, I still dislike giving my voice over to AI. I understand the elements of metamodernism and recognized them in the Murdoch Mysteries through my own critical thinking. I am beginning to discover that AI can be used to concur, to revise, to dig into ideas and yet still allow us as humans to discern both abstract and concrete theories, philosophies and realities with our own judgement. However, that is only possible with practice and without reliance on AI for initiating the ideas and concepts for us. I mean, I already knew about metamodernism or I never would have asked for validation from AI!

I decided to ask ChatGTP to create an image with the prompt, “Can you create an image similar to the Murdoch Mysteries theme of inventions and Victorian era clothes?” Immediately, I was provided this image. I think Detective Murdoch, Constable Crabtree, and Inspector Brackenreid would approve.

Copyright is being revolutionized by AI and the onslaught of online information, so I did not put actual photos of the Murdoch Mysteries in this post. ChatGTP instantaneously provided a citation for the image and I shall share it here, although somehow I feel that intellectual property, privacy, and the need to give credit where it is due are concepts that are shivering in their simulated boots.

OpenAI. (2025). Victorian-era detective in a steampunk laboratory [AI-generated image]. ChatGPT. https://chat.openai.com/

We Were Knowledge Couriers, My Father and I

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“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” (Chiseled on stone at Farley Post Office in NYC). Information delivery is important and has been essential to humans for thousands of years.

My father was a mailman, and he estimated that he walked around the world twice over the many years of carrying his mailbag.  My career as a librarian spanned 30 years and I came to realize we were both in the information delivery service!

Information delivery requires discerning priorities.  All data is not equal, and we are now drowning in it!  AI is rapidly becoming our number one information delivery service provider, which raises the question about how human beings prioritize the value of information and the evolving process of information seeking behavior.

Humans should be able to discern and prioritize information from accurate sources and experts.  Humans should not be robbed of the quest for knowledge and the journey through the “snow, rain, hear or gloom of night” to bring it forth!

Just think, for years it has been a federal crime to open mail that is not addressed to you!  Yet privacy is now on shaky ground. 

While we waited for days for news to arrive in the mail, we now expect answers to come to us instantly and rarely care where those answers came from nor the long history of humans working hard who created those answers. While a letter from one we love touched us deeply in the past, we now simply scroll and delete messages too quickly to bother with any reflection or savoring of the tactility.  

I often think of my father’s wisdom even though he is now gone.  I’ve never known anyone wiser, yet I had to watch his brain fail the last decade of his life with dementia.  The human brain is the most incredible and mysterious thing on our planet.  AI can never replicate it.

AI image generated by CoPilot

Artificial Friends (AFs) and Simulacra

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Science fiction stories often predict or mirror life but sometimes in unique ways that differ from reality. In an age of XR, where simulacra becomes almost bigger than life, multiple realities make the physical world only one part of reality. AFs (artificial friends), like Klara in Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, are already here and his book speaks to us through the voice of an AI chatbot. Those of us who have spent a good deal of time in the metaverse have a glimpse into the future that AI is impacting through experiencing simulacra in real virtual environments. Many remain hopeful that we will make clear distinctions between AI agents, (AFs or chatbots) and human beings.

Stefan Beck, in his Klara and the Sun book review, stated, “AI categorically cannot become self-aware, though it may achieve a simulation of self-awareness sufficient to dupe a human.” Personally, I agree with his statement because AI is simply a house of content built by human language and can never have what we humans call a “soul”. Much argument about the capabilities of AI and the potential for becoming sentient is currently undergoing philosophical debate. (Note to self: AI is prompting me to help write this blog post and I am saying NO to that!)

Ishiguro gives Klara, as an artificial friend, a clear voice as the narrator and allows each reader to interpret the argument about “what makes a human being differ from an AI embodied chatbot”. Our human frailties are woven throughout the novel as seen through Klara’s (who obviously was programmed with Isaac Asimov’s three rules of robotics) eyes and Klara will make sacrifices for her human girl, Josie.

Humans, in the big picture, are small and insignificant with soft bodies and short life spans. Yet, we are capable of amazing ideas, strong wills, great faith, perseverance and incredible creativity. AI provides the illusion of having those traits by data mining our language and spitting back out a conglomeration of that data in whatever new formats we create: video, audio, text, and more. Simulacra has reached a new level which makes us doubt and question our humanity. The next generation is now challenged with sorting multiple realities and finding meaning in both the tangible context and the symbolic context of simulacra. What something means and represents goes beyond the physical world and is sometimes more powerful.

Recently, my daughter and I presented at a Virtual World Mental Health Symposium on the topic of “The Impact of Parasocial Relationships with AI on Mental Health”. I learned a lot about the current state of teens and AI from my daughter, Rose, who has worked in the mental health profession. This work and research on artificial intelligence aligns with my passion for digital citizenship as it is rapidly evolving (or perhaps exploding) and becoming popular.

The images in our presentation were created by AI using Midjourney (by my daughter Rose) and perhaps my favorite part of working with her on this “deep dive” into the current state of AI chatbots was her conclusion. Rose said, “What we have covered in this presentation around the landscape of AI chatbots is not about what is about to happen or what we think is going to happen. It’s about what is already happening right now. Teens are right this moment developing emotionally deep relationships with AI. And most adults are still struggling to wrap their minds around what exists”. This isn’t going away and is certainly going to play a part of essential digital citizenship.