The Circle | Prompt 2

When comparing the two words data and privacy, the subject of social media comes up. Social media is the cross between data and personality, and with a person comes privacy. In The Circle, Mae struggles with trying to keep up with the rigorous lifestyle of her new life at the company. Part of that comes her sacrificing a large part of her privacy, which she doesn't even seem to realize; however, as the reader, it is the only thing I can notice. By keeping up with all the data of her life and of the Circle, she is giving up all of her privacy. She spends hours and hours competing with other Circlers to get into the top tier of people posting and interacting on the Internet and on the Circle's medias, just to fit in. The other employees are completely shocked at how little Mae uses her social media and Internet profiles, while all of them are consistently posting on the Circle's media's, and using everything the campus and facility has to offer. Everyone can tell where everyone is at all times, and many of the higher-ups at The Circle can tell what everyone is doing on their computers at all times, including what they are and aren't posting, and constantly commenting on what they should and shouldn't be doing.


Mae is someone that seems to be able to find her place wherever she is; she is comfortable alone on the water when she is kayaking, and she also has the drive to improve her skills at the Circle. However, to me she seems to be getting lost in the online ways of her new business, and doesn't notice how controlling and invasive the company is. Because they have excessive amounts of data on Mae, and there is always new information, she is constantly under scrutiny. When her father was sick, instead of being sympathetic and understanding, the other employees were shocked, saying "We don't know anything about this episode," because she didn't post about it, as if all the circles have the right to know everything about Mae and her family and personal life (182). Later on, Mae is sucked into the new culture of the Circle, where invasion of privacy on social media and online data is normal. She is infatuated with the mysterious Kalden, and she thinks she "had a right to know where he was," as if it was normal to know exactly where everyone is at every single moment.


To me there is a fine line between data and privacy; some things should be kept in private, especially if someone wants to keep it in private. In The Circle, the people don't seem to understand that, and constantly mix personal life with work life. Mae is getting dragged into the lifestyle, and without even realizing it she is completely changing into someone new.