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Why so curious?

Why+so+curious%3F

Meagan Flynn, Features Editor

“It’s none of your business.”

We’ve all said that some time or another, but for some people, it just doesn’t resonate. I’m not sure if it increases with age, or if the times have just changed, but it seems that nosiness has become more and more acceptable.

Personal lives are called personal for a reason. Of course, we all have our go-to people we seek when we need to tell a secret or pour our heart out. Those people know who they are. So if you know you aren’t that person, under what pretext do you lean over to your neighbor in biology and ask, “Did you guys have sex yet?”

“[People cross the line] when they start getting into sexual topics or when they start asking you stuff they know you’re uncomfortable with, especially exes,” said senior Kinsey Wright. “I hate when they bring up your ex.”

Wright can recall an awkward moment when an acquaintance in her history class casually asked her if she and her boyfriend at the time had sex yet. Instances such as these are, simply put, inappropriate.

“That’s between me and him. It’s none of their business,” said Wright. “They aren’t in the relationship, so why are they asking?”

Senior Ginno Jansalin had a similar moment in which he felt as if a nosy person had crossed the line. A school friend had asked whether or not he “hooked up” with anyone over the weekend, even going as far as asking whether or not Jansalin had deliberately gotten a girl drunk.

“I was shocked,” Jansalin said. “Why would you ask that?”

Why? Well, perhaps the nosy kid was evaluating Jansalin’s “coolness.” For some people, actually for many people—and this is sad—drunken hook ups are like trophies. It’s “cool” to have them.

“People act like having sex is a competition,” said Wright. “That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. They act like it’s Call of Duty—the more hits you get, the better you are.”

It is equally as irritating when some people feel the need to brag. Frankly, we don’t think you’re cool if you’re cheating on your boyfriend with three guys…and we all know those people exist. What some people don’t realize is that they are only trashing their own reputation.

“I just think of [those people] as people who have no respect for themselves,” said Wright. “When they brag about it, it makes it seem like they think that’s how they’re going to get friends, like they think they’re cool.”

Of course, there is a difference between discussing secretive topics with trustworthy friends and telling the world things about yourself that can be easily misconstrued by others, thus only hurting yourself.

“There’s no need to brag,” said senior Cory Stone. “It’s annoying. You can talk about it, but there’s a difference between talking and bragging.”

Even on the Internet, naïve bloggers are inviting people to want to know more. Facebook, Twitter, and yes, the ancient Myspace. All of these social networking sites have contributed to the accessibility of personal information, and people openly allow that access.

We all do it. We all post it, and we all snoop for it.

Guidance counselor Karen Miller does not think that people have become increasingly nosy since she was in high school, but that because of social networking, people have more access to others’ personal info, and thus easily want to know more.

“The curiosity level has definitely gone up because of social networking,” she said. “I think people who are willing to post information about themselves need to filter that information, and people who are interested in finding out more need to ask themselves, ‘Why am I doing this?’ If it’s not about them, why do they need to know? Mind your own business.”

Even simple Facebook posts like, “Man what a great party,” are inviting people to learn what you did at that party.  Who was there? Are there pictures? And they’ll go snoop around on your page. And then they could start talking about what they found to other people.

“I think it’s human nature to be nosy,” Stone said. “Some people just want to know for the sake of knowing. They don’t care how it affects you.”

Miller admits that, before joining Facebook, she would have never felt the need to delve into her old high school friends’ lives, but now that it is right there for her, just like everyone else, she’s got the easy access to all that Facebook activity people put up for hundreds to see.

“People provide way too much info about themselves on public sites with no worries about privacy,” Miller said. “You open yourself up to scrutiny when you post everything about yourself on Facebook.”
No wonder people start rumors when you lead them to assume things off of your Facebook page. Why even be surprised?

“I don’t know one person who doesn’t have Facebook and doesn’t click on someone’s page just to see what they’re up to,” said junior Olivia Stepp. “You have to think we are the cause of that [lack of privacy], because if you accept a friend request from someone you don’t know too well, you’re definitely allowing them to find out things about you they probably don’t know. You’re allowing them to become a part of your life.”

Perhaps this is where peoples’ nosiness originates, on the Internet, and then they take it to school with them and try to get the rumors, gossip, or bits of information to further their knowledge.

Either leave the gossip Internet where you found it, or simply try to understand the cliché: Just mind your own business.

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