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Report on How Private Are You?
Smart girls decide for themselves™.
This survey is from May 2008, when we asked Smartgirls to tell us how private they are. We heard from a lot of people! A total of 506 responded, mostly girls, but a few were boys and a few didn't label themselves. Most were between 10 and 17 years old, and were either youngest or oldest children. There were people of all ethnicities and races, but the top were European, Asian, African, multiracial or multiethnic, and Latin, in that order. Plus you came from so many different countries, like Australia, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Germany, just to name a few! You also came from lots of different kinds of homes, but the most common were towns, suburbs, and big cities (again, in that order). Generally, it looks like the overwhelming majority said that there were at least a little to somewhat priviate - nearly 84%. Other quick trends are:
Responders were least private about grades, saying more often that they were most private about personal stuff like friend problems, issues at home, relationships, and crushes.
When you did open up, it tended to be with: one close friend, a journal, a few friends (like more of a circle of friends), or your mothers. We're glad you have a place to talk!
Just over 61% reported that they would feel angry or betrayed if you shared private thoughts and feelings with someone and they told someone else.
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| Would you have an online journal, diary or blog where you share your personal thoughts and feelings? |
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| Less than a quarter of survey takers said that they would or do share their thoughts and feelings in an online journal or blog. |
Nobody said that they would feel sorry if they wrote something online in a blog or journal, and somebody who you didn't think would read it, actually did and got upset. Answers were split between: I wouldn't care, I would be annoyed because it's their fault for reading what I wrote, and I would be mad because they shouldn't be reading it anyway.
Most said that they agreed or strongly agreed that the Internet has changed some ideas about privacy: 84%.
Slightly less than one-third of survey takers told us that they had little to no privacy at home. However, two-thirds of survey takers told us that they either agreed or strongly agreed that they wanted more privacy at home.
Most of you said that your bedroom was totally your space, but almost one in five, or 19% have to share a bedroom and 15% said it didn't feel like your space at all.
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| Where do you go to get your own space and time? |
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| To get some space and privacy, the most popular places to go are your bedrooms, outside, or another place in your house. |
If a parent was looking for something and went through your stuff, almost everyone would feel angry, annoyed, or betrayed. Only 12% said they wouldn't care. But, only 28% said that they'd never spied on a family member before - that means that the majority of you have at least once!
Most of your responses told us that they either agreed or strongly agreed with the idea that they couldn't wait to be older so they could have more privacy - 70%.
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| Which of the following do you consider invasions of privacy? |
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count | percent |
consider invasions
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| grade |
159 | 7.51 |
| note/email |
373 | 17.62 |
| profile secret |
288 | 13.6 |
| room search |
354 | 16.72 |
| locker |
257 | 12.14 |
| telling crush |
355 | 16.77 |
| parents ask |
331 | 15.64 |
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| The top three invasions of privacy would be, in your eyes, someone reading a note or an email, someone talking about your crush, and someone looking in your room - in that order. |
We asked, "What would you change to get more privacy for yourself?" Here are some of the answers, in your words...
~ "...it wouldn't really matter at all, because I have enough privacy."
~ "I would get my own room with a lock."
~ "I would get a private library with secret books."
~ "Move out."
~ "Get people to knock on the door."
~ "Ask if I can [have] a moment alone to myself."
~ "I wouldn't tell people as much stuff..."
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These are really informative responses! Privacy is a fundamental right; it really affects your life. Feeling like you don't have it when you want it is horrible, and so it's great to see that many Smartgirls feel like they have some privacy in their lives, especially in their bedrooms. It seems like survey takers felt like privacy is necessary, such as saying they want people to knock on their doors, for example. Also, some things were more private than others, like crushes and what's happening at home, and that some places were more appropriate to share in, like with a close friend or journal. Looks like respecting privacy is also super necessary!
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Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts
with us!
Please remember that all web-based polls
are not scientific because the pollsters cannot randomly select the
respondents to participate in the surveys.
All our surveys are anonymous; check out our privacy
policy. All data copyright 1996-2007.
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